Latest Extra Innings episodes
In Quest of a Shared Planet with Dr Naveeda Khan
13 November 2023
In 2023 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Naveeda Khan, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University about her new book, In Quest of a Shared Planet: Negotiating Climate from the Global South, the role that UN Climate Change Conferences (or “COPs”) play in the global climate framework, and the relationship between the global north and south in taking responsibility for and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Contributor: Dr Naveeda Khan (Johns Hopkins University)
The Birth Lottery of History with Professor Robert Sampson
10 October 2023
In June 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke with Robert J. Sampson the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard University about his new study, The Birth Lottery of History. This study followed over 1,000 Americans over 23 years and looks at the effects on different age cohorts of the social transformation of crime, punishment, and inequality over the last three decades.
Contributors: Professor Robert J. Sampson (Harvard University)
Democratic Disenchantment in Rich & Poor Countries
15 August 2023
In May 2023, the Phelan US Centre’s Mohid Malik spoke to Pranab Bardhan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. In this Extra Inning podcast, they discussed the argument put forward in Professor Bardhan’s 2022 book, A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries. Their conversation explored the future of democratic governance as it confronts majoritarian politics throughout the world.
Contributors: Professor Pranab Bardhan (University of California, Berkeley)
The Kennedy Withdrawal with Professor Marc Selverstone
9 August 2023
In December 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Mark Selverstone, Associate Professor in Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Centre of Public Affairs, and chair of the Miller Center's Presidential Recordings programme, about his new book, The Kennedy Withdrawal Camelot and the American Commitment to Vietnam. They discussed the factors that shaped President Kennedy’s views on Vietnam, the relationship between Kennedy and his Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, and their views on a potential withdrawal from Vietnam, and the usefulness of White House recordings to academics and historians.
Contributors: Dr Marc Selverstone (Miller Center of Public Affairs)
Geopolitics and Democracy with Brian Burgoon and Peter Trubowitz
21 July 2023
In May 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Brian Burgoon, Professor of International and Comparative Political Economy in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, and Peter Trubowitz, Professor of International Relations, and Director of the Phelan US Centre at LSE and Associate Fellow at Chatham House, about their new book Geopolitics and Democracy, which will be published in July 2023 by Oxford University Press. They discuss the rise of anti-globalist forces which are against international cooperation and multilateralism, and how this connects to the decline of the welfare state and citizens’ perceptions about threats from abroad.
Contributors: Professor Peter Trubowitz (LSE Phelan US Centre), Professor Brian Burgoon (University of Amsterdam)
The defining global challenges of the coming decades with the Lloyd George Study Group
26 June 2023
For this episode of the Ballpark, we asked each of the ten members of the Lloyd George Study Group on Global Governance one question: What do you take to be the defining global challenges of the coming decades? Their answers tell us a great deal about what global challenges we face, and how we might begin to tackle them.
Contributors: Wu Xinbo (Fudan University), Eghosa Emmanuel Osaghae (University of Ibadan, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs), Selina Ho (National University of Singapore), Peter Trubowitz (LSE Phelan US Centre), Charles Kupchan (Georgetown University), Cornelia Woll (Hertie School), Bahgat Korany (The American University in Cairo), C. Raja Mohan (Asia Society Policy Institute), Monica Herz (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro).
The Confederate Diaspora with Professor Samuel Bazzi
12 June 2023
In March 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Samuel Bazzi, Associate Professor in the School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Department of Economics at the University of California, San Diego about his new research on The Confederate Diaspora. They discussed how white migration from the early American South soon after the Civil War helped to diffuse and entrench Confederate culture across the United States, holding back civil rights and economic equality for Black Americans, and how the diaspora continues to influence on contemporary American politics.
Contributors: Samuel Bazzi (University of California, San Diego), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
The Rise and Fall of the EAST with Professor Yasheng Huang
2 June 2023
In March 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Yasheng Huang, Epoch Foundation professor of global economics and management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management about his new book, The Rise and Fall of the EAST, which will be published by Yale University Press in August 2023. They also discussed Chinese technological development over the last three decades, and the challenges China currently faces in developing and maintaining its talent and human capital to support innovation.
Contributors: Yasheng Huang (MIT), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Waning Globalisation with Professor Pinelopi Goldberg
25 May 2023
In March 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Pinelopi Goldberg, Elihu Professor of Economics and Global Affairs and Affiliate of the Economic Growth Center at Yale University about her new book, The Unequal Effects of Globalization, which will be published by MIT Press in August 2023. They also discussed the rise of scepticism towards globalisation, the role of international institutions like the WTO, hyper-globalisation, and whether globalisation can be fair.
Contributors: Pinelopi Goldberg (Yale University), Chris Gilson (Phelan US Centre)
Beijing's Global Media Offensive with Joshua Kurlantzick
3 April 2023
In February 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations about his new book, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign To Influence Asia and the World. They also discussed the effectiveness of China’s efforts to expand its global media influence, from its pitfalls to successes.
Contributors: Joshua Kurlantzick (Council on Foreign Relations), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise with Professor Susan Shirk
21 March 2023
In January 2023, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Susan Shirk, Research Professor and Chair of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego about her new book, Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise.
Contributors: Professor Susan Shirk (UC San Diego), Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
The Case for Reparations for Mass Incarceration with Dr Tasseli McKay
9 March 2023
In December 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Dr Tasseli McKay, National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Sociology at Duke University, about her new book, Stolen Wealth, Hidden Power The Case for Reparations for Mass Incarceration. Their discussion covered mass incarceration in the US, the case for reparations, and principles of transitional justice.
Contributors: Dr Tasseli McKay (Duke University), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Professor Glenn Loury on Identity Politics and Race in America
28 February 2023
In May 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Glenn Loury, Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics at Brown University, on the role of identity politics in the United States. In their discussion, they situated Black American experience within the context of identity politics, and how this has done little to correct existing racial inequalities in the United States.
Contributors: Professor Glenn Loury (Brown University), Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Professor Jessica Chen Weiss on China and the International Order
21 February 2023
In November 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Jessica Chen Weiss, professor of government at Cornell University, about China and the future of the international order. They also discussed President Biden’s approach to China, and the future of US-China relations.
Contributors: Professor Jessica Chen Weiss (Cornell University), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
China’s Belt and Road with Professor Taylor Fravel
13 February 2023
In November 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Taylor Fravel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about China’s Belt and Road Initiative. They discussed the history and recent developments of the Belt and Road Initiative, the political implications of this project, and the US’ responses to it. This Extra Inning was produced by Chris Gilson, Mohid Malik, and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Professor Taylor Fravel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Professor Rana Mitter on historical analogy in US-China relations
6 February 2023
On 27 September 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Rana Mitter of the University of Oxford about China’s changing national narrative. They also discussed nationalism in China and the ways China has engaged in revisionist history with regards to its conception of the current international order.
Contributors: Professor Rana Mitter (University of Oxford), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Lessons from the Edge with Marie Yovanovitch
30 January 2023
On 25 January 2023, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke with Marie Yovanovitch, the United States’ Ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019, about her new book, Lessons from the Edge. They also discussed US-Ukraine relations, resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and European security.
Contributors: Marie Yovanovitch, Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
England’s Cross of Gold with Professor James Morrison
24 January 2023
In June 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson spoke to Centre Affiliate Professor James Morrison about his new book, England’s Cross of Gold Keynes, Churchill, and the Governance of Economic Beliefs (Cornell University Press, 2021). They also discussed the history of the gold standard in the UK, and what research on economic and monetary history can tell us about the current moment.
Contributors: Professor James Morrison (LSE International Relations), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Professor Mary Kaldor on Long-term Solutions to the War in Ukraine
16 January 2023
On 9 June 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Mary Kaldor of the LSE about ways to reimagine a future European security framework. They also discussed the importance of empowering the local civil society groups in Russia and Ukraine that oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Contributors: Professor Mary Kaldor (LSE), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
The future of Liberal Internationalism and the War in Ukraine with Professor Ayse Zarakol
3 October 2022
On 9 June 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Ayse Zarakol of the University of Cambridge about the state of the Liberal International Order following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They also discuss what the rise of non-Western powers that have not fully adhered to Liberal Internationalism suggests about the future of this American-led system.
Contributors: Professor Ayse Zarakol (University of Cambridge), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
American Isolationism and the future of the Liberal World Order with Professor Charles Kupchan
3 October 2022
On 9 June 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Professor Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations and Georgetown University about the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Liberal World Order. They also discussed the foreign policy objectives of the United States and how the United States should deal with security issues in Europe.
Contributors: Professor Charles Kupchan (Council on Foreign Relations and Georgetown University), Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik (Phelan US Centre)
Everyone wins: Student-faculty collaborations in the UGRA programme
3 October 2022
In June 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson spoke to Professor James Morrison about his experience as a faculty lead working on research projects with undergraduates as part of the US Centre’s undergraduate research assistant (UGRA) programme. Professor Morrison, who has worked with an UGRA each year since the programme’s inception in 2017, discussed the contribution that these undergraduate students have made to his research over the years. He also spoke about the mutual benefits that academics and students enjoy from these collaborations.
Contributors: Professor James Morrison (LSE International Relations), Chris Gilson (Phelan US Centre)
Finding Success as a Phelan US Centre Undergraduate Research Assistant
27 September 2022
On February 24th, 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Joss Harrison spoke to Karen Torres about her experience as an undergraduate research assistant (UGRA) with Dr John Collins at the US Centre in 2019-20, and how this has influenced her academic and career plans. They also discussed her co-authored article with Dr Collins in the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development, which focuses on Colombia’s place in the global drug wars.
Contributors: Karen Torres, Joss Harrison (Phelan US Centre)
Dr Fiona Hill on Putin, the War in Ukraine, and European Security
17 August 2022
On 15 June 2022, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Dr Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ramifications for the future of NATO and the European security framework. They also discuss future possibilities of engaging with Russia and the role that non-European states may play in this process.
Fiona Hill is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. She served as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia from 2006 to 2009 and senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019. She is author of There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century and co-author of Mr Putin: Operative in the Kremlin.
Contributors: Dr Fiona Hill (Brookings Institiution)
How UK Think Tanks influence US policymaking, with Professor Michael Cox
15 October 2021
On 21 July 21 2021, The Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson spoke to Professor Michael Cox of LSE IDEAS about his new article in the journal, International Politics, “What do Think Tanks do? Chatham House in search of the United States” and how think tanks affect policymaking in the UK and the US. They also discuss his upcoming book of essays Agonies of Empire, which outlines the ways in which five very different American Presidents have addressed the complex legacies left them by their predecessors while dealing with the longer-term problems of running a modern-day empire under increasing stress.
Professor Michael Cox is the Founding Director of LSE IDEAS. He was appointed to a Chair at the LSE in 2002, having previously held positions in the UK at The Queen’s University of Belfast and the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth. He helped establish the Cold War Studies Centre at the LSE in 2004 and later co-founded LSE IDEAS in 2008 with Arne Westad.
Contributors: Professor Michael Cox (LSE IDEAS)
Four Threats to American Democracy with Professor Robert Lieberman and Professor Suzanne Mettler
19 May 2021
On 15 February 2021, the Phelan US Centre’s Blog Editor, Chris Gilson, spoke to Professor Robert Lieberman and Professor Suzanne Mettler about their recent book, ‘Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy’. In this podcast, they discuss some of the unique features of American democracy and how its four pillars may be under threat, and what needs to be done to secure democracy in the US.
Robert Lieberman is Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. He studies American political development, race and American politics, and public policy. He has also written extensively about the development of American democracy and the links between American and comparative politics. His most recent book is Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy (St. Martin’s Press, 2020), co-authored with Suzanne Mettler. In 2021, he will be the John G. Winant Visiting Professor of Government at the University of Oxford.
Suzanne Mettler is the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the Government Department at Cornell University. Her research and teaching interests include American political development, inequality, public policy, political behavior, and democracy. She is the author of six books, including, most recently, Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy (St. Martin’s Press, 2020), co-authored with Robert C. Lieberman. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the recipient of Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships, and serves on the boards of the Scholars Strategy Network and the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences.
Contributors: Professor Robert Lieberman (Johns Hopkins University); Professor Suzanne Mettler (Cornell University)
James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley: The Great Debate Over Race in America
23 September 2020
On the 30th of January 2020, Professor Nicholas Buccola joined the LSE US Centre for the event, “James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley: The Great Debate over Race in America”. The event was chaired by Dr. Clive James Nwonka, an LSE Fellow in Film Studies within the Department of Sociology and affiliate of the US Centre. At the event, Professor Buccola spoke about his new book The Fire Is upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate over Race in America. He revisited the historic debate between these two thinkers, the controversies that followed their meeting, and how their clash continues to illuminate America’s racial divide today.
Professor Nicholas Buccola is the Elizabeth and Morris Glicksman Chair in Political Science at Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. He is a is a writer, lecturer, and teacher who specializes in the area of American political thought. He is the author of The Fire Is upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate over Race in America (Princeton University, 2019) and The Political Thought of Frederick Douglass: In Pursuit of American Liberty (New York University Press, 2012).
Contributors: Professor Nicholas Buccola (Elizabeth and Morris Glicksman Chair in Political Science at Linfield College); Dr. Clive James Nwonka (LSE Fellow in Film Studies, Department of Sociology)
Russian Trolls and the 2016 Election: interview with Professor Kathleen Jamieson
28 July 2020
In this interview, Professor Kathleen Jamieson talks about the impact of Russian interference on the 2016 US Presidential election, the tactics used to influence voters, and what we should be thinking about ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.
Professor Kathleen Jamieson is the Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of its Annenberg Public Policy Center. She is also the author of ‘Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President – What We Don’t, Can’t, and Do Know‘.
Contributors: Professor Kathleen Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, and Chris Gilson, US Centre
"African Americans in a White House": An event with Professor Leah Wright Rigueur
3 July 2020
On the 5th of March 2020, Professor Leah Wright Rigueur joined the LSE US Centre for the event “African Americans in a ‘White’ House: Presidential Politics, Race, and The Pursuit of Power.” At the event Professor Leah Wright Rigueur told the complex story of the transformation of Black politics and the astonishing racial politics of presidential administrations that have paved the way for patterns of political misconduct that have continued into the present.
Contributors: Professor Leah Wright Rigueur, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harry S. Truman Associate Professor of American History, Brandeis University, and Professor Imaobong Umoren, Assistant Professor, Department of International History, LSE.
"Black Republicans, Power and the Reagan Administration": Interview with Professor Leah Wright Rigueur
23 June 2020
Ballpark co-host Michaela Herrmann is joined by Professor Leah Wright Rigueur, who discusses the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) scandal of the 1980s, the experiences of Black Republicans in the last 50 years, the racial politics of the Reagan administration, and how #BlackLivesMatter protests can be linked back to long-standing trends like inequality and policing practices.
Contributors: Professor Leah Wright Rigueur, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harry S. Truman Associate Professor of American History, Brandeis University, and Michaela Herrmann, US Centre
"Russian Hackers, Trolls and #DemocracyRIP": an event with Professor Kathleen Jamieson
23 June 2020
On the 27th of February 2020, the LSE US Centre hosted Professor Kathleen Jamieson for the event Russian Hackers, Trolls and #DemocracyRIP. In this lecture, Professor Jamieson brought together what is known about the impact of the Russian interventions in the 2016 US presidential election, outlined the contours of the #DemocracyRIP Russian plans to undercut the presidency of Hillary Clinton, and asked what’s next and what can we do about it.
Contributors: Professor Kathleen Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, and Peter Trubowitz, US Centre Director
“How Millennial Economics Will Shake Up US Politics” – an event with Joseph Sternberg
22 February 2020
On the 9th of October 2019, the US Centre hosted Joseph Sternberg of The Wall Street Journal at the US Centre’s public event, “How Millennial Economics Will Shake Up US Politics”. At the event, he presented an overview of Millennial economics in America and outlined how the Great Recession affected Millennials in particular. He also discussed the continuing effects of the recession even as economic conditions have improved, and some of the political issues that will continue to challenge Americans across the Boomer-Millennial divide.
Contributors: Joseph Sternberg, Wall Street Journal, and Peter Trubowitz, US Centre Director
The Theft of a Decade: How the Baby Boomers Stole the Millennials’ Economic Future – an interview with Joseph Sternberg
22 February 2020
In this Extra Inning from the LSE US Centre, Ballpark host Chris Gilson talks with The Wall Street Journal’s Joseph Sternberg about his new book, The Theft of a Decade: How the Baby Boomers Stole the Millennials’ Economic Future. In the interview, Joseph Sternberg outlines the effects of the Great Recession on Millennials and talks about Millennials’ economic and political future.
They also discuss the policy issues that will continue to challenge Boomers and Millennials as the former ages out of the working population and puts economic pressure on the latter.
Contributors: Joseph Sternberg, Wall Street Journal, Chris Gilson, LSE US Centre.
“Donald Trump and the Roots of Republican Extremism in the US”, an event with Professor Theda Skocpol
22 February 2020
On 14 October 2019, the US Centre hosted Professor Theda Skocpol for the event “Donald Trump and the Roots of Republican Extremism in the US.” At the event, Professor Skocpol discussed her recent research explaining how sets of organizations expressing two separate currents of right-wing extremism – billionaire ultra-free-market fundamentalism and popularly rooted ethno-nationalist resentment – have worked in tandem to remake the Republican Party.
Contributors: Professor Theda Skocpol. Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, and Peter Trubowitz, US Centre Director
Why American foreign policy since the Cold War has been a failure with Stephen Walt
24 January 2020
Your host Chris Gilson of the LSE US Centre is joined by Professor Stephen Walt. In this interview, Chris and Professor Walt discuss the differences in US foreign policy between Presidents Trump and Obama.
They also discuss Professor Walt’s new book, The Hell of Good Intentions, and why he thinks American foreign policy since the Cold War has been a failure.
Contributors: Professor Stephen Walt (Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government), Chris Gilson (LSE US Centre).
New York City’s Planning Challenges for 2020 and Beyond with Marisa Lago
24 January 2020
In this Extra Inning of the Ballpark, we are joined by Marisa Lago, the Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission. Chris Gilson of the LSE US Centre spoke with Marisa Lago about what it’s like to work across three New York mayoral administrations, the big planning issues facing the city right now, and how city planning can help address inequality.
Contributors: Marisa Lago (Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission.), Chris Gilson (LSE US Centre).
Donald Trump and the Roots of Republican Extremism in the US, an interview with Professor Theda Skocpol
13 December 2019
In this Extra Inning of the Ballpark, your host Chris Gilson of the LSE US Centre talks with Professor Theda Skocpol about her recent research on the Republican Party. Professor Skocpol outlines the shift that the Republican Party has undergone in the last decade, driven by two distinct currents of right-wing extremism: ethno-nationalist resentment, and ultra-free-market fundamentalism. They also discuss her upcoming book, which traces the growing grassroots movement of suburban white women in left-wing politics.
Contributors: Professor Theda Skocpol. Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, Chris Gilson. LSE US Centre
The Dangers of Brexit for the Special Relationship with Senator Chris Murphy
5 April 2019
On March 20th 2019, the US Centre hosted Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut for his talk, “The Dangers of Brexit for the Special Relationship”. Senator Murphy, who is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, spoke to US Centre Director, Professor Peter Trubowitz, on the future of the US’s relationship with one of its oldest allies in the context of the UK’s looming exit from the European Union.
Contributors: Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Peter Trubowitz, US Centre Director
Lessons from History and the Future of International Trade with Jeff Frieden and Doug Irwin
22 February 2019
In this Extra Inning of the Ballpark Chris Gilson hosts a conversation between Jeff Frieden and Doug Irwin as they discuss one of the most important parts of the economy: international trade. They talk about the changing consensus on trade in the US under Trump, what the growth of populism across the world means for trade and the international economy, Brexit, the growing trade war between the US and China, and give their policy recommendations for Donald Trump.
Contributors: Jeff Frieden, University of Harvard and Doug Irwin, Dartmouth College
What the US-North Korea summit may have in store with Stephan Haggard
21 February 2019
For this Extra Inning from the US Centre’s Ballpark podcast, host Chris Gilson speaks to North Korea expert Professor Stephan Haggard about the upcoming summit between the US and North Korea. We explore what’s at stake and what the summit may be able to achieve.
Contributors: Stephan Haggard, Krause Distinguished Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California San Diego
Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump with Joe Uscinski
7 January 2019
This Extra Inning of the Ballpark features audio from the US Centre’s event “Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump” which took place on 25 July 2018. Joseph Uscinski, associate professor of political science at University of Miami, speaks about his book American Conspiracy Theories and why President Trump might be America’s first conspiratorial president.
Using an analysis of more than a hundred years of data taken from newspapers, surveys, and the internet, Professor Uscinski demonstrates that conspiracy theories follow a strategic logic: they are tools used by the powerless to attack and defend against the powerful.
Contributors: Joseph Uscinski, associate professor of political science at University of Miami, and Ros Taylor, Research Manager for the LSE Truth, Trust & Technology Commission
How Great Powers Transition: A Conversation with Dr. Kori Schake
23 November 2018
Host Chris Gilson talks with Dr. Kori Schake, the Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, about her new book Safe Passage. Dr. Schake discusses how and when power can peacefully shift from one hegemon to another, the impact of Trump’s foreign policy on America’s standing in the world, and the future of the Republican party.
Contributors: Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies
Summer Lecture from Professor Kathy Cramer “The Politics of Resentment in the 2016 US Presidential Election”
29 August 2017
The 2016 election revealed stark divisions along the rural-urban divide in America. Professor Katherine J. Cramer’s research explored that division and investigated how rural American resentment toward cities and the urban elite provided fertile ground for right-leaning candidates to win elections. This is the third lecture of this series, and it features Professor Kathy Cramer on “The Politics of Resentment in the 2016 US Presidential Election”.
Contributors: Kathy Cramer, Director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Summer Lecture from Professor Tali Mendelberg “The Affluence Effect: College Socialization and Inequality in America”
21 August 2017
Do American universities promote income inequality? That’s the question Professor Tali Mendelberg takes on in this lecture. This second lecture of the series is from Professor Tali Mendelberg, entitled “The Affluence Effect: College Socialization and Inequality in America”.
Contributors: Tali Mendelberg, Professor of Politics at Princeton University
Anxiety, Fear, and National Identity, a public lecture from Professor Neil Foley
14 August 2017
You usually have to be in London to catch the public lectures sponsored by the US Centre, but this August, we’re bringing them to you. This podcast lecture series features the research of leading American academics. This first lecture is from Professor Neil Foley, “Anxiety, Fear, and National Identity: anti-immigration politics and the rise of Latino power in the US.”
Contributors: Neil Foley, Robert and Nancy Dedman Endowed Chair in History at Southern Methodist University
The Yanks Are Coming! A lecture from Professor Mick Cox
12 December 2016
We dive into the history of Americans at LSE. As we’ll hear from Professor Mick Cox, the LSE has helped shape the United States, and Americans have helped define the LSE since its foundation in 1895.
Contributors: Mick Cox, Professor of International Relations at LSE
Conspiracy Theories and Donald Trump
28 September 2016
Donald Trump has brought conspiracy theories into the mainstream political debate. We spoke with political scientist Joe Uscinski, author of American Conspiracy Theories, about what impact this has had on American politics and elections.
Contributors: Joe Uscinski, University of Miami
Has Obama been a transformative president?
25 August 2016
In this installment of Extra Innings, we bring you behind the scenes of the US Centre and present a full lecture from University of Texas Austin Professor Jeffrey Tulis. Jeffrey examined Obama’s presidency and asked whether or not Barack Obama has been a transformative president. This event was held in collaboration with the Dahrendorf Forum.
Contributors: Jeffrey Tulis, University of Texas at Austin
Everything you wanted to know about Brexit but were too afraid to ask
1 August 2016
It’s clear that the UK has voted to leave the EU, but there are still many questions surrounding Brexit. We want to provide some answers for our listeners on the other side of the pond to all of the questions Americans have about Brexit but were afraid to ask. We’ve gathered some of the LSE’s top experts on the EU, the UK, and Brexit to hear about what’s going on here, the repercussions for the rest of the world, and what the US can learn from this historic vote.
Contributors: Chris Gilson and Denise Baron of the LSE US Centre talk to Tony Travers, Professor of Government, Tim Oliver of LSE IDEAS, and Sara Hagemann, Assistant Professor at the European Institute.
Gun Violence and Politics in the US
1 July 2016
Following the recent horrific shooting in Orlando, Florida, we gathered three Americans to discuss their research and direct experience with the politics of gun violence. We contextualise the recent news with a statistical and research frame and then took a specific look at the gun safety policy and political fights that took place in Colorado in 2013.
Contributors: Chris Gilson of the LSE US Centre talks to Sierra Smucker, PhD student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, and Visiting Student at the LSE US Centre, Sasha Milonova, Communications Associate for the Dahrendorf Forum at LSE IDEAS, and MSc student in political economy, and Denise Baron, Ballpark Producer and LSE MSc student in social psychology.
Monetary policy and more with Jeff Frieden
18 May 2016
We featured Jeff Frieden in our podcast on the Almighty Dollar, but our interview with him covered so much more. So we decided to share the full interview on the past, present, and future of monetary policy.
Contributors: Jeff Frieden, Professor of Government at Harvard University
Why the Ballpark?
5 May 2016
You might be wondering, "Why is this podcast called 'The Ballpark'?" We invited another baseball fan and political economist, Derek Valles, to chat about the overlaps and intersections of baseball and politics.
Contributors: Derek Valles, LSE Government
Erich McElroy’s Imperfect Guide to the US Presidential Debates
24 March 2016
In this Ballpark Extra Innings segment co-hosts Denise Baron and Chris Gilson head down to Erich McElroy’s Imperfect Guide to the US Presidential Debates show, and hear some comedy and commentary on the Republican presidential debate, and the US election.
Contributors: Erich McElroy, Josie Long, Robyn Perkins, Ola
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