A monumental election may lead to paralysis as terms designed to foster peace and cooperation are wielded in power politics.-Important References-View the election resultsWatch Horowitz's address-Share If You Care-Share via TwitterShare via Fac

Cawthorn in Crisis: Private Vice, Public Mediocrity | Insight

May 6th, 2022 8m 17s

The social media generation’s first House member is showing how hard it will be to balance privacy with public service.-Share If You Care-Share via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via LinkedInShare via Email-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newslett

The Supreme Court Problem, Without the Partisanship | Focus re-run

May 4th, 2022 11m 28s

It's back in the news. Whatever you think, it probably proves the court is a mess of an institution we'd do well to reform.This Focus originally appeared on August 29, 2021, under the headline: "The Supreme Court: Political, Unaccountable, and

Can the EU Bring Hungary to Heel? | Insight

May 2nd, 2022 8m 6s

Hungary’s rocky relationship with the EU is about to get rockier. Could current tensions initiate an exit?-Important References-Our previous coverage of Hungary's recent election-Share If You Care-Share via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via Li

Stalin and the Nazis: Unusual Comrades | Focus

May 1st, 2022 16m 20s

Whether Communist, monarchist, or Nazi, any opponents of German democracy in the ‘20s could find a friend in the Soviet Union.-Share If You Care-Share via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via LinkedInShare via Email-Usual Links-Subscribe to our n

Coloring Inside the Lines | Insight

Apr 29th, 2022 8m 27s

New York Dems have been denied their gerrymander. They’ll need to find more productive ways to push the boundaries.-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Follo

Interim Interruptions | Insight

Apr 27th, 2022 7m 29s

The Senate is making it harder to fill key posts in the government. The ready fix may not be a fix at all.Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Follow our Twitter! // Foll

A Gloomy Future for Free Speech? | Focus

Apr 24th, 2022 13m 29s

Conservatives are using the power of the state to curtail freedom of speech. Will progressives step up to defend it?-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Foll

Putin May Yet Be a Master Strategist | Insight

Apr 22nd, 2022 7m 45s

The invasion of Ukraine has driven the West together and heightened militarization. It’s not perfectly clear that’s a good thing.-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conv

Mudslides and Mistrust | Insight

Apr 20th, 2022 8m 29s

As South Africa reels from devastating floods, a lack of trust between officials and citizens could make recovery difficult.-Important References-Listen to our interview with Professor Aldrich-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or com

Does “Europe” Include Ukraine? | Insight

Apr 13th, 2022 8m 36s

EU leadership is making Ukraine seem like a shoe-in. That dodges some hard—but vital—questions.-Important References-Is Ukraine a democracy?-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectac

Why the French Election Matters | Insight

Apr 11th, 2022 7m 34s

In France, politics is about personality, not party, and that could spell real trouble for any democracy.-Important References-Note: Between recording and publishing, election results shifted slightly. Find the most up to date numbers here.See

N(EU)clear Failure | Guest Insight

Mar 30th, 2022 6m 36s

The EU is beginning to face the realities of its energy future, but Germany and France aren’t on the same page.Ania Wellere is an undergraduate student at Denison University, currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in Global Health. She hopes

Words and Wars | Insight

Mar 28th, 2022 7m 43s

How much damage will Biden’s slip of the tongue do?-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

Why the West Will Win | Focus

Mar 27th, 2022 15m 27s

Or, how the very features which led the West to self-doubt and awe of autocracy will ensure democracy’s triumph.-Important References-Article about Russia's incompetent economic management-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment

Shout, You’re on Camera | Insight

Mar 25th, 2022 7m 19s

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings featured the usual political absurdities. Would cutting the cameras fix it?-Important References-Explaining "mediatization"-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on t

Spectacles, but for Bad Guys | Insight

Mar 23rd, 2022 8m 27s

A new magazine seeks to build a coalition between left- and right-wing critics of liberalism. What explains their alliance?-Important References- Harry's primer on the post-liberal right-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment o

Vote With Your Ballot

Mar 21st, 2022 8m 19s

Some people think punishing the president for high gas prices is nonsensical. In fact, it’s a profoundly honest expression of what democracy promises.-Important References-That research about voting behavior-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newslet

How Not to Build Democracy | Focus

Mar 20th, 2022 13m 33s

Development assistance is one way the United States can help other countries democratize. But it could use a rethink.-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Write with us!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Fol

Madison v. DeSantis | Insight

Mar 18th, 2022 8m 17s

Florida’s new parental rights bill prohibits discussion of LGBT issues in the classroom. It’s going to cause chaos for the state’s school system.-Important References-Harry's piece on "republic" vs. "democracy"-Usual Links-Subscribe to our news

Good Medicine, Political Poison | Insight

Mar 16th, 2022 8m 5s

China is starting to lock down again, because their vaccines don’t work. Why don’t they just buy better ones? The short answer: authoritarianism.-Important References-Noah Smith's post-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on

Not Tired of Losing Yet | Insight

Mar 14th, 2022 7m 27s

Breaking down the theory of “mediatization” helps explain why Kristi Noem keeps fighting her own party and losing.-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!Read or comment on this article!Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!Follow our Twitter!

Taiwan’s Nuclear Memories | Angelica Oung

Mar 13th, 2022 16m 6s

The tragic forty-year history of Taiwan’s Fourth Nuclear Plant yields key lessons on energy policy, democracy, security, and more.-Important References-Angelica's blog, TaipologyOur conversation with Angelica-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsle

The Pork Is Back in Town | Insight

Mar 11th, 2022 5m 11s

Congress is reviving pork barrel politics. By allowing legislators to bring home big projects, it could rejuvenate Congress—or corruption.-Important References-Harry's piece on American political theater-Usual Links-Subscribe to our newsletter!

How to Solve the Blood Shortage | Guest Insight

Mar 9th, 2022 4m 57s

The FDA’s blood donation rules stigmatize sexual minorities for no good reason—and it may cost a million lives each year.Benjamin Gossart is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a candidate for a B