TALKING POLITICS
411 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 619 ratingsCoronavirus! Climate! Brexit! Trump! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting: Talking Politics is the podcast that tries to make sense of it all. Every week David Runciman and Helen Thompson talk to the most interesting people around about the ideas and events that shape our world: from history to economics, from philosophy to fiction. What does the future hold?
Can democracy survive? How crazy will it get? This is the political conversation that matters.
Talking Politics is brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books, Europe's leading magazine of books and ideas.
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Episodes
Labour and Brexit: Beyond the Crisis
May 14, 2020 00:00 - 44 minutes - 103 MBDavid is joined by Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke to try to get beyond the current crisis and work out where British politics is heading. How different is Starmer's political programme likely to be from Corbyn's? Can the Labour party become the party of the workers again? And is Brexit really going to happen without an extension and without a deal? Plus we explore the renewed influence of the trade unions and ask what it means for the political choices ahead. Talking Points: What kind of ...
Ebola, COVID and the WHO
May 07, 2020 05:46 - 49 minutes - 113 MBDavid and Helen talk this week with Amy Maxmen, senior reporter at Nature. Amy has covered the Ebola epidemic in Western Africa and now COVID-19 in the US. Does she see comparisons between the two? What explains the failures of the US response? Can the WHO still make a difference? Plus we explore the implications of the growing politicisation of science. When did data become so divisive? Talking Points: There are significant parallels between what is happening now and epidemics such as eb...
David Miliband on the Crisis
April 30, 2020 00:00 - 42 minutes - 97 MBWe talk with David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, about the impact of the pandemic on the world's poorest countries. What happens in places where social distancing is not possible? Plus we discuss the long-term implications of the crisis for the future global co-operation and global conflict. Is this the moment for social democracy? More details of the work of the IRC can be found here: https://www.rescue-uk.org/ Talking Points: By fluke or demography, the virus has...
History of Ideas: Wollstonecraft on Sexual Politics
April 28, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 108 MBMary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) is one of the most remarkable books in the history of ideas. A classic of early feminism, it uses what’s wrong with the relationship between men and women to illustrate what’s gone wrong with politics. It’s a story of lust and power, education and revolution. David explores how Wollstonecraft’s radical challenge to the basic ideas of modern politics continues to resonate today. To get all 12 talks - please subscribe to the ne...
History of Ideas: Hobbes on the State
April 27, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 137 MBThomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1651) reimagined how we could do politics. It redefined many of the ideas that continue to shape modern politics: representation, sovereignty, the state. But in Leviathan these ideas have a strange and puzzling power. David explores what Hobbes was trying to achieve and how a vision of politics that came out of the English civil war, can still illuminate the world we live in. To get all 12 talks - please subscribe to the new podcast - Talking Politics: HISTORY OF ...
What's Happening in Italy Now?
April 26, 2020 00:00 - 27 minutes - 63.5 MBWe catch up again with Lucia Rubinelli to discuss the latest developments in Italy. With anger against the EU on the rise and regional divisions getting more acute, can the Italian government hold it together? What is Salvini up to? And will the technocrats try another take over? Plus Lucia tells us what lockdown has been like for her. The New York Times Article mentioned: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-south.html See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...
What's Happening in Italy Now?
April 26, 2020 00:00 - 27 minutes - 63.5 MBWe catch up again with Lucia Rubinelli to discuss the latest developments in Italy. With anger against the EU on the rise and regional divisions getting more acute, can the Italian government hold it together? What is Salvini up to? And will the technocrats try another take over? Plus Lucia tells us what lockdown has been like for her. The New York Times Article mentioned: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-south.html
Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS
April 23, 2020 19:14 - 2 minutes - 5.05 MBA short trailer to introduce a brand new podcast called Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS. In each episode, David Runciman focuses on one writer and one piece of writing. The series of twelve will explore some of the most important thinkers and prominent ideas lying behind modern politics – from Hobbes to Gandhi, from democracy to patriarchy, from revolution to lock down. Plus David talks about the crises – revolutions, wars, depressions, pandemics – that generated these new ways of politica...
Lockdownonomics
April 23, 2020 00:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBDavid and Helen talk to the economist Diane Coyle about the long-term consequences of lockdown, for the economy, for society and for our well-being. How can we measure the costs? Who are likely to be the biggest losers? And what will it mean for how we structure our economies in future? Plus we discuss what will happen if we pull back from global supply chain and we ask whether inflation is on its way. Talking Points: The crisis is revealing weaknesses in the global economy. Previous eve...
Adam Tooze/Shockwave
April 20, 2020 21:25 - 52 minutes - 121 MBDavid and Helen talk to Adam Tooze about what we know about the crisis that we didn't know a month ago, and what we still don't have much of a clue about. From fights inside the French government to the fate of the planet, from shale gas to corona bonds, we try to join up the dots. Plus a small update recorded after news of the oil price-drop. Read 'Shockwave' by Adam Tooze in the LRB https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n08/adam-tooze/shockwave. Talking Points: The dominant reality is the ...
Nate Silver
April 18, 2020 17:59 - 42 minutes - 97 MBDavid and Helen talk to 538's Nate Silver about how to read the pandemic data and what they mean for politics. What do we know now that we didn't know six weeks ago? How should we model the future trajectory of the disease? Where does it leave the election in November? A conversation about everything from death rates to spring breaks, and from Belgium to Biden. Talking Points: Are the COVID models we are using now better than they were before? People don’t always understand the condition...
British Politics: The Big Reset?
April 16, 2020 00:00 - 43 minutes - 99.3 MBWe discuss whether British politics is about to undergo a fundamental shift. Are we seeing a new role for the state? Have the lines between the parties started to blur? What will be the long-term consequences of the economic decisions taken in the last few weeks? Plus we explore whether the crisis points in the direction of more democracy, less democracy or a different kind of democracy. With Helen Thompson and Tom McTague of the Atlantic. Talking Points: The government has taken on both ...
In Praise of Hilary Mantel
April 12, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 95.3 MBIn an Easter special David and Helen discuss their love of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy, and in particular the final volume The Mirror and the Light. Kings, queens, power, patronage, ghosts, myths, geopolitics, dynasties, religion, sex, bureaucracy, cruelty, death and Machiavelli - it's all here and we try to bring it all together.
Can America Cope?
April 09, 2020 00:00 - 48 minutes - 111 MBDavid, Helen and Gary Gerstle discuss the impact of the pandemic on the fundamentals of American politics. What have we discovered about the strengths and weaknesses of the federal system? Are the states capable of learning from each other? What part will the Supreme Court play? And can the Democrats really persist with Biden? Plus we ask who has the 'police power' and what it means to use it. Talking Points: In the US, the experience of this crisis differs significantly from state to sta...
Michael Lewis Updated
April 05, 2020 00:00 - 56 minutes - 128 MBAnother chance to hear the prophetic interview we recorded with Michael Lewis late last year, when he warned about the risks to us all of what the Trump presidency was doing to the capacity of the American state to cope with a disaster. David and Helen reflect on how that warning looks today and what it means for the fate of Trump's presidency and for the future of American politics.
States of Emergency
April 02, 2020 00:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MBDavid talks to Lea Ypi in Berlin and Helen Thompson in London about the various states of emergency that have been declared around the world. We discuss the theory and practice of emergency political powers: When are they justified? How can they be legitimated? When should they end? Plus we explore what the history of Roman dictatorship can teach us about the present crisis and we ask what it means when elections start getting cancelled. Talking Points: As COVID spreads, it is ushering in ...
Tara Westover/Educated
March 29, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 140 MBWe catch up with Tara to reflect on what her experience of being educated without going to school means for a world where so many kids are being kept out of school. Should we be trying to replicate the education they are missing or should we be trying something new? And will the current crisis bridge or deepen existing political divides in the US? Plus another chance to hear the interview we recorded with Tara in February 2018 about her extraordinary book Educated.
From Cholera to Coronavirus
March 28, 2020 01:00 - 38 minutes - 88.4 MBDavid talks to the historian Richard Evans about the history of cholera epidemics in the 19th century and what they can teach us for today. How did contemporaries understand the spread of the disease? What impact did it have on growing demands for democracy? And who tended to get the blame - foreigners, doctors or politicians? Plus we discuss whether the political changes being driven by the current pandemic are likely to outlast the disease itself. Talking Points: Massive epidemics are ...
Co-operation or Conflict?
March 26, 2020 00:40 - 45 minutes - 104 MBThis week we try to assess whether the Covid-19 pandemic is driving the world together or pushing it further apart. From US-Chinarelations to tensions within the EU, we discuss how coronavirus is exacerbating existing tensions and how it might overcome them. Are we going to see new forms of international co-operation? What does it mean for globalisation? And is the politics of competence making a comeback? With Helen Thomson and Hans Kundnani from Chatham House. Talking Points: The crucial...
The View from Italy
March 22, 2020 21:56 - 41 minutes - 95.7 MBDavid talks to Lucia Rubinelli, who is locked down in Northern Italy, about what life is like there and what politics is like too. Do people still have faith in the government? What do they think of the British approach? How have attitudes to China switched in recent weeks? Plus: whatever happened to Salvini? More from Lucia soon.
Adam Tooze Part 2
March 19, 2020 21:32 - 28 minutes - 65.6 MBWe catch up with Adam on the latest twists in the crisis: from the ECB's change of heart to new threats in emerging markets. What is happening in Germany? How vulnerable is the UK? Can anything shake the hold of the almighty dollar? Much more in the weeks to come.
Adam Tooze on the Crisis
March 19, 2020 01:22 - 43 minutes - 100 MBWe talk to Adam Tooze in New York about the possible impact of coronavirus on the global financial and political system. How does this crisis compare to the financial crisis of 2008? What are the implications for the future of the Eurozone? And what have we learned already about the shift in power from the US to China? Plus we talk to Helen Thompson in London about how it intersects with the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. The first of a series of conversations about the bigge...
Doomsday Clock
March 15, 2020 01:00 - 35 minutes - 80.6 MBA special extra episode with Rachel Bronson, president of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, about their decision to move the Doomsday Clock 20 seconds nearer to midnight, closer that it's ever been. She explains why the world is more dangerous now than even at the height of the Cold War and what are the risks that keep her awake at night. How close really are we to the end? Scary but essential listening. Recorded at the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. Extra listeni...
Superforecasting
March 12, 2020 01:00 - 47 minutes - 109 MBWe talk to David Spiegelhalter, Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk, about the science of forecasting. Who or what are the superforecasters? How can they help governments make better decisions? And will intelligent machines ever be able to outdo the humans at seeing into the future? From Cummings to coronavirus, a conversation about the knowns, unknowns and what lies beyond that. Talking Points: Tetlock discovered that some people make better predictions than others. Some of t...
Super Tuesday Special: Biden's Back!
March 04, 2020 23:51 - 53 minutes - 122 MBA special live edition recorded on the morning after Super Tuesday: we try to make sense of where the Democratic race now stands. How did Biden pull it off? Is there a path back for Sanders? And what role was Obama playing behind the scenes? Plus we ask which strategy now makes sense for the general election and whether Trump has got the candidate he wants or the one he fears. With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle, recorded at the McCrum Lecture Theatre in Cambridge. Talking Points Biden, t...
Blair's Labour and Johnson's Brexit
February 27, 2020 01:00 - 48 minutes - 111 MBDavid and Helen catch up on the state of British politics, from Blair's advice to the Labour party on its 120th birthday to growing divisions in Johnson's Tory party. Is there really a liberal progressive coalition in Britain? Can Brexit deliver both free trade and levelling up? And what does Cummings really want? Plus we talk about Helen's lecture on Britain, the EU and geopolitics: Listen here → http://bit.ly/3a25Bya On the 120th anniversary of the Labour Party, Tony Blair gave a speech e...
Michael Ignatieff on the Future of Democracy
February 23, 2020 01:00 - 54 minutes - 125 MBA special live edition recorded in front of an audience in Cambridge: David talks to writer, broadcaster, academic and politician Michael Ignatieff about his personal experiences of democratic politics. From his bruising time as Liberal party leader in Canada to his recent confrontations with the Orban government in Hungary, from climate change to populism, from Johnson to Trump, we discuss what's happened to democracy and where he sees the grounds for hope. A wide-ranging conversation about...
Macron vs Everyone
February 20, 2020 01:00 - 50 minutes - 115 MBWe talk to Shahin Vallee, former economics advisor to Emmanuel Macron, about the state of the Macron presidency: from the gilets jaunes to the pensions protests, from dealing with Merkel to facing off with Putin, and from now to the next presidential election in 2022. Did Macron save the centre of French politics or has he destroyed it? Can he really be sure he'll beat Le Pen next time? And what is his plan to rescue the West? Plus, we discuss what the Griveaux and Mila affairs tell us about...
Sinn Fein and Sardines
February 13, 2020 01:00 - 49 minutes - 114 MBWe talk about two countries going through dramatic democratic change: Ireland, where Sinn Féin came top of the vote in last weekend's general election, and Italy, where the Sardines are the latest movement trying to shake up the system. What does the Irish vote tell us about the collapse of two party politics? Does Sinn Féin's success suggest that the party has changed or that the electorate has changed? And in Italy, who or what now stands between Salvini and power? Plus we discuss whether ...
Oh Iowa!
February 06, 2020 01:00 - 43 minutes - 100 MBWe try to peer through the chaos in Iowa to see who won, who lost and what it means for the future of this presidential race and for American democracy. Are we heading towards a Bernie vs Bloomberg showdown? What might happen at a brokered convention? And how much damage has been done to the Democratic party brand? Plus we review Trump's State of the Union address. Great theatre - but was it great politics? With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle. There were no winners in Iowa. We still don’...
Are We Losing Faith in Democracy?
January 30, 2020 01:00 - 44 minutes - 103 MBWe talk to Roberto Foa about some of the findings in his groundbreaking new report 'Global Satisfaction with Democracy'. Where are people most dissatisfied with democracy and why? Is it being driven by economic factors or is something else going on? And why does democratic satisfaction divide Europe north/south and east/west? Plus we talk about what might happen to satisfaction with democracy in the UK post-Brexit. With Helen Thompson. Talking Points: Dissatisfaction with democracy is up ...
Trump vs Iran: Is it for Real?
January 23, 2020 01:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBDavid and Helen talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at the Economist, about the fallout from the killing of Soleimani and the future of American power. Is Trump a madman or is he a realist (or is he neither)? What sort of threat does Iran pose to American interests in the region and the wider world? And what has all this got to do with oil and climate change? Plus, in the week Trump's impeachment trial gets underway, we ask who or what can limit the power of the presidency. Talking Point...
Predictions for 2030 with Azeem Azhar
January 19, 2020 01:00 - 40 minutes - 93.7 MBAn extra episode with Azeem Azhar, tech entrepreneur and host of the Exponential View podcast and newsletter. We talk about Azeem's predictions for what will shape politics and technology over the next decade, from climate change to artificial intelligence. Plus we discuss the Dominic Cummings agenda: will the UK government really be able to harness the dynamism of the tech start-up mindset within the hidebound structures of Whitehall? This is the first of a two part special - you can find...
What's the Future for Labour?
January 16, 2020 01:54 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBWe are back for 2020 to talk about Labour's future after Corbyn. How can the party move the argument beyond Brexit? Does the voting system help or hinder Labour's chances of returning to power? And what to do about Scotland? Plus, we ask how much damage would be done if the next leader turns out to be the only man in the field. With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton. Talking Points: Electoral Reform seems to be a perennial issue for the Labour Party. Starmer says he wants ...
The Great Abortion Switcheroo
January 09, 2020 01:00 - 32 minutes - 74.2 MBIn the final episode of our American Histories series, Sarah Churchwell tells the incredible story of the politics of abortion during the 1970s. How did evangelicals go from supporting abortion to being its die-hard opponents, what did the switch have to do with the politics of race and what have been the lasting consequences for American democracy? Talking Points: A lot of people think that the U.S. abortion debate started in 1973 with Roe v. Wade, and that evangelical republicans have ...
Deporting Mexicans
January 05, 2020 01:00 - 30 minutes - 70.1 MBGary Gerstle explores the forgotten history of Mexican deportations from the southern United States in the 1930's and asks how it fits into the longer story of US immigration policy up until today. From open borders to 'Build That Wall': what's next? Talking Points: Immigrant labour has always been vital to U.S. economic development. The United States presented itself as being a different kind of society. This was partially ideological, and partially a labour imperative. In the early 20...
The 15th and the 19th
January 02, 2020 01:00 - 29 minutes - 68.5 MBSarah Churchwell tells the tortured history of the campaign to secure votes for women and how it was tied up with another campaign to suppress votes for black Americans. From the 15th amendment in 1870 to the 19th amendment in 1920: why the promise of enfranchisement is often not what it seems. Talking Points: The struggle for votes for women and votes for black people have been linked from the beginning. Some activists wanted to do both at once, but slavery was deemed more urgent. Of ...
The 15th an the 19th
January 02, 2020 01:00 - 29 minutes - 68.5 MBSarah Churchwell tells the tortured history of the campaign to secure votes for women and how it was tied up with another campaign to suppress votes for black Americans. From the 15th amendment in 1870 to the 19th amendment in 1920: why the promise of enfranchisement is often not what it seems. Talking Points: The struggle for votes for women and votes for black people have been linked from the beginning. Some activists wanted to do both at once, but slavery was deemed more urgent. Of ...
Monopoly and Muckraking
December 29, 2019 01:00 - 30 minutes - 69 MBGary Gerstle talks about the journalist who brought down a business empire, when Ida Tarbell went after the power of John D Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Corporation at the start of the twentieth century. Could anyone do the same to Facebook or Amazon today? Talking Points: America’s foundational myth is about rebelling against monopolies: a monopoly of power in the hands of the King. How does an anti-monopolistic society get dominated by monopolies? Industrialization and the free e...
Pornography and the Post Office
December 26, 2019 01:00 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MBGary Gerstle tells the story of Anthony Comstock, the man who tried to stamp out pornography in the final decades of the nineteenth century, using the US Postal Service as his weapon. Where he succeeded and how he ultimately failed still has echoes now, even in the age of the internet. Talking Points: States were exempted from the Bill of Rights from the 1790s until essentially the 1960s. Some states pursued extraordinary influence over the lives of their citizens. There were always st...
Impeaching the President
December 22, 2019 01:00 - 33 minutes - 77.5 MBIn the first of our American Histories series, Sarah Churchwell explains the lessons to be learned for Trump and his opponents from what happened in 1868, when President Andrew Johnson was impeached by Congress and survived his trial in the Senate by a single vote. What are 'high crimes and misdemeanours' anyway? Talking Points: What was Reconstruction? The period immediately following the Civil War and the first attempt at civil rights in the United States. The 14th and 15th amendments...
American Histories Trailer
December 20, 2019 12:51 - 3 minutes - 7.12 MBLetting you know about an exciting new series: Over the holidays David is joined by historians Sarah Churchwell and Gary Gerstle for six special editions of Talking Politics looking at crucial moments in American history. From impeachment to enfranchisement, monopoly to pornography, deportation to abortion, these are the stories that help make sense of present, as we get ready for election season 2020.
Michael Lewis on Donald Trump
December 18, 2019 23:20 - 37 minutes - 87.1 MBDavid and Helen talk to bestselling author Michael Lewis about the effect that Trump's presidency is having on the workings of the US government and the risks we are all running as a result. From wilful ignorance to breathtaking corruption, we explore the different ways that one man can change the character of an entire political system. Plus we ask what, if anything, can be done about it. https://bit.ly/2M1yzVk
Johnson Gets His Mandate
December 14, 2019 04:26 - 1 hour - 168 MBWe gather the morning after the Tory triumph the night before to discuss how they did it and what it means. From Swinson's hubris to Corbyn's comeuppance, from Scottish independence to constitutional challenges, from the start of Brexit to the end of the Brexit party, we try to cover it all in a bumper edition. With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke, Chris Bickerton, Alison Young, Peter Sloman, Kenneth Armstrong, and some overnight reflections from other TP regulars. If you want to hear more, Dav...
Johnson Gets His Mandate
December 14, 2019 04:26 - 1 hour - 168 MBWe gather the morning after the Tory triumph the night before to discuss how they did it and what it means. From Swinson's hubris to Corbyn's comeuppance, from Scottish independence to constitutional challenges, from the start of Brexit to the end of the Brexit party, we try to cover it all in a bumper edition. With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke, Chris Bickerton, Alison Young, Peter Sloman, Kenneth Armstrong, and some overnight reflections from other TP regulars. If you want to hear more, Dav...
Some Brexit Scenarios
December 11, 2019 23:31 - 43 minutes - 99.9 MBFor our last pre-election episode we talk with Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe, about what might happen to Brexit once the vote is done. What choices does Johnson face if he wins? What paths are there to a second referendum if he loses? And what will remainers do if Britain does finally leave the EU? Plus we discuss what the rest of Europe makes of it all. With Helen Thompson. Tomorrow, we talk about the result of the election as it happens. Talking Points: There are ...
What if Remain Had Won...?
December 05, 2019 01:00 - 48 minutes - 110 MBThis week Helen and David explore some counterfactuals: What if Remain had won in 2016? What if Corbyn hadn't got on the leadership ballot in 2015? What if Scotland had voted for independence in 2014? We consider whether British politics would be very different or whether a lot of what we are seeing in 2019 was coming anyway. Plus we explore if there are any circumstances in which the stranglehold of the two main parties could be broken in a general election and why the Lib Dems have so spec...
Tech Election - Part 2
November 28, 2019 01:00 - 51 minutes - 118 MBWe talk about the impact of different online platforms on the general election campaign, from Twitter and Facebook to WhatsApp and TikTok. Is micro-targeting getting more sophisticated? Is viral messaging getting more important? Or are traditional electioneering techniques still driving voter engagement? Plus we ask whether there's any scope left for a 'December surprise'. With Charles Arthur, former technology editor of the Guardian, and Jennifer Cobbe, from the Cambridge Trust and Technolo...
Tech Election - Part 2
November 28, 2019 01:00 - 51 minutes - 118 MBWe talk about the impact of different online platforms on the general election campaign, from Twitter and Facebook to WhatsApp and TikTok. Is micro-targeting getting more sophisticated? Is viral messaging getting more important? Or are traditional electioneering techniques still driving voter engagement? Plus we ask whether there's any scope left for a 'December surprise'. With Charles Arthur, former technology editor of the Guardian, and Jennifer Cobbe, from the Cambridge Trust and Technolo...
Tech Election - Part 1
November 24, 2019 01:00 - 54 minutes - 124 MBIn a special live edition recorded at the Bristol Festival of Economics we discuss the impact of the technology revolution on democratic politics. Has the rise of automation contributed to the rise of populism? Is China winning the AI wars against the West? And do any democratic politicians - from Elizabeth Warren to Jeremy Corbyn - have the policies to get big tech back under control? With Rana Foroohar, author of Don't Be Evil, and Carl Frey, author of The Technology Trap, plus Diane Coyle,...