Skip to content
The Good Fight podcast artwork

PODCAST · news

The Good Fight

by Yascha Mounk

"The Good Fight," the podcast that searches for the ideas, policies and strategies that can beat authoritarian populism.Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight.If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone.Email: [email protected]: @Yascha_MounkWebsite: http://www.persuasion.community

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Oct 17, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. James Marriott on the End of Reading

    Yascha Mounk and James Marriott explore what happens when a civilization turns its back on books. James Marriott is a London Times columnist and the author of the Substack Cultural Capital, covering society, ideas, and culture. He is the author of The New Dark Ages: The End of Reading and the…

    more
  2. Eliot Cohen on Why America Keeps Losing Wars It Should Win

    Yascha Mounk and Eliot Cohen delve into the lost meaning of “strategy” and why Trump's Iran gambit went off the rails. Eliot A. Cohen is the Arleigh Burke chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. His latest book is The Strategist: How to Think About War and…

    more
  3. David Deming on the Future of Universities in the Age of AI

    Yascha Mounk and David Deming discuss how artificial intelligence will transform research, teaching, and the economic foundations of higher education. David Deming is the Danoff Dean of Harvard College and an economist. He writes a Substack called Forked Lightning and hosts a podcast called The...

  4. Why America’s Real Wealth Isn’t in Silicon Valley

    Yascha Mounk, Owen Zidar, and Eric Zwick examine how America's hidden fortunes are built on garage doors, car dealerships, and beverage distribution. Owen Zidar is a Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Eric Zwick is the Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and...

  5. Luis Garicano on Why Europe Fell Behind

    Yascha Mounk and Luis Garicano examine why Europe missed the tech revolution—and how it might catch up. Luis Garicano is Professor of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and a co-founder of The Rhine Group. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Luis Garicano discuss why Europe...

  6. Galen Druke on the Midterms

    Yascha Mounk and Galen Druke examine why the data points to a possible blue wave—and whether the polls can be trusted. Galen Druke is the founder and host of “GD Politics,” a leading nonpartisan podcast and Substack that explains politics with curiosity, rigor, and a sense of humor. He also...

  7. Frank Furedi on the Case for Populism

    Yascha Mounk and Frank Furedi delve into the case for populism—and clash over Viktor Orbán's Hungary. Frank Furedi, author and social commentator, is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent. His latest book is In Defense of Populism. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and...

  8. Simon Sebag Montefiore on the Origins of the Modern Middle East

    Yascha Mounk and Simon Sebag Montefiore discuss how the fall of the Ottoman Empire shaped the region we know today. Simon Sebag Montefiore is a historian and author. His latest book is The Cauldron: The Origins of the Modern Middle East. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Simon Sebag...

  9. Shashank Joshi on Why Russia Won't Invade NATO—Yet

    Yascha Mounk and Shashank Joshi also discuss Trump's war in the Middle East and the differences between the United States and Europe. Shashank Joshi is The Economist‘s Washington bureau chief, having previously covered defense and national security for the publication for eight years. In this...

  10. Jerry Kaplan on Why AI Won’t Kill Us All

    Yascha Mounk and Jerry Kaplan debate whether the existential risk from AI is overstated—and if so, what we should be worrying about instead. Jerry Kaplan is an artificial intelligence expert, serial entrepreneur, technical innovator, educator, and author. He is currently an adjunct lecturer at...

  11. Jacob Weisberg on the Contagion of Cowardice

    Yascha Mounk and Jacob Weisberg examine why so many powerful people and institutions capitulated to Trump the second time around. Jacob Weisberg is the co-founder of the podcast company Pushkin Industries. He serves as Chair of The Committee to Protect Journalists and is a regular contributor to...

  12. Judith Dada on the Rise of the AfD

    Yascha Mounk and Judith Dada also discuss why the tech sector is so behind in Europe—and how the continent can become dynamic again. Judith Dada is Co-CEO of Langdock, a leading European AI company, Senior Partner at Visionaries Club, an early-stage European venture capital fund, and is co-author...

  13. Sarah Longwell on How Democrats Can Defeat Trump

    Yascha Mounk and Sarah Longwell discuss why the pro-democracy coalition keeps losing the narrative war—and how it can fight back. Sarah Longwell is publisher of The Bulwark, host of The Focus Group podcast, and author of How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time. In this week’s conversation,...

  14. Jared Diamond on Whether Leaders Make History

    Yascha Mounk and Jared Diamond discuss the age-old question of structure versus agency—and when individual leaders truly change the course of events. Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. His books include Guns, Germs, and Steel, The Third...

  15. Abigail Marsh on Psychopaths (Rerun)

    We’re on vacation this week, so are rerunning a fun “beach read” episode exploring if your nearest and dearest could be psychopaths. Miss us already? In an event exclusively for readers of American Purpose and Persuasion, Yascha Mounk will be interviewing Francis Fukuyama about his life and…

    more
  16. The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: Building Things

    Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss his lifelong hobbies—from building furniture to robotics—and why they might save us in the age of big tech. Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the...

  17. The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: How States Form

    Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama delve into 9/11, the hubris of humanitarian intervention, and the letter he regretted signing. Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the author of the “Frankly...

  18. Adam Bodnar on Why Defeating Populists at the Ballot Box Isn’t Enough

    Yascha Mounk and Adam Bodnar examine why Poland’s celebrated victory over illiberalism is now very much in doubt. Adam Bodnar is a Professor of Law at SWPS University in Warsaw, heading the Department for Rule of Law and Human Rights. He is also a Senator of the Republic of Poland, elected in...

  19. The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: Human Nature

    Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama explore why any theory of politics must begin with an account of what makes us human. Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama”...

  20. Daron Acemoglu on Why Liberalism Became a Victim of Its Own Success

    Yascha Mounk and Daron Acemoglu examine how the digital age severed the link between economic growth and shared prosperity. Daron Acemoglu is an economist at MIT and a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics. His latest book is What Happened to Liberal Democracy? In this week’s…

    more
  21. The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man

    Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama examine what people still get wrong about “the end of history.” Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama” column at Persuasion.…

    more
  22. Katja Hoyer on Why We Should Stop Comparing Everything to Weimar

    Yascha Mounk and Katja Hoyer also discuss what the Islamist attack on Berlin’s Pride parade says about the state of Germany. Katja Hoyer is a visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Her latest book is Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe....

  23. The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: His Life and Ideas

    Francis Fukuyama discusses the experiences and individuals that shaped him. Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama” column at Persuasion. We have a treat for…

    more
  24. Claude Steele on the Hidden Stress of Diverse Spaces

    Yascha Mounk and Claude Steele discuss why diversity can produce anxiety—and how it differs from prejudice. Claude Steele is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Stanford University. His latest book is Churn: The Absurd Abyss of Race in America. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Claude...

  25. The Good Fight Club: Refounding Liberalism, Gen Z’s Political Instincts, and a Watergate Ghost Story

    Francis Fukuyama, Linda Chavez, and Rachel Janfaza join Yascha Mounk to discuss what a radical liberal agenda might look like today. In this week’s episode of The Good Fight Club, Yascha Mounk, Francis Fukuyama, Linda Chavez, and Rachel Janfaza explore whether Gen Z’s political instincts are...

  26. John Harpham on the Intellectual Origins of American Slavery

    Yascha Mounk and John Harpham examine how early modern thinkers justified slavery long before modern theories of race took hold. John Samuel Harpham is Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics and Letters and Wick Cary Assistant Professor at the Institute for the American Constitutional...

  27. Deirdre McCloskey on What Really Caused the Industrial Revolution

    Will you be in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday July 15? I will be interviewing Francis Fukuyama about how liberalism should respond to the postliberal threat. Find out more and get your free ticket here! —Yascha Yascha Mounk and Deirdre McCloskey discuss why ideas, not capital accumulation, made…

    more
  28. Arvind Narayanan on Why AI Isn’t All That Revolutionary

    Yascha Mounk and Arvind Narayanan discuss why the real transformation from AI will take decades rather than months—and what that means for how we should prepare. Arvind Narayanan is a professor of computer science at Princeton University. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Arvind...

  29. Ivan Krastev on Why America Has Lost Faith in Itself

    Yascha Mounk and Ivan Krastev examine what the country’s founding ideals mean on its 250th anniversary. Ivan Krastev is Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and the Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna. He is a founding board member of the...

  30. Charles Fain Lehman on Why Cities Got Safer

    Yascha Mounk and Charles Fain Lehman explore how strategic policing drove the decline in violent crime—and why Baltimore was left behind. Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal, where he covers crime, policing, and urban policy. In…

    more
  31. The Good Fight Club: Why the Center Left Is Losing, the Squad vs. the Median Voter, and How Patriotism Wins Elections

    Matthew Yglesias, Claire Ainsley, and Yascha Mounk debate whether progressives have abandoned the working-class voters they once claimed to represent. Will you be in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday July 15? I will be interviewing Francis Fukuyama about how liberalism should respond to the…

    more
  32. Mark Leonard on Whether Europe is Doomed

    Yascha Mounk and Mark Leonard discuss how the West can defend itself without America. Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the first pan-European think–tank. His latest book is Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail. In this week’s...

  33. A Debate with Curtis Yarvin

    Curtis Yarvin, Minna Salami, and Yascha Mounk discuss whether we can ever be free in a liberal society in a discussion moderated by Roger Hearing. In this special episode of The Good Fight, recorded at the How The Light Gets In Festival, Roger Hearing moderates a debate between Curtis Yarvin…

    more
  34. Samuel Moyn on Why Old People Are Ruining America

    Yascha Mounk and Sam Moyn also discuss whether some people deserve to have more votes than others. Samuel Moyn is the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University. His books include Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, The Last Utopia, and Not Enough: Human...

  35. David Bau on How—and Whether—Artificial Intelligence Thinks

    Yascha Mounk and David Bau delve into the emerging science of AI interpretability and what we can learn from billions of neural signals. David Bau is Assistant Professor at Northeastern University and Director of the National Deep Inference Fabric, researching the emergent internal mechanisms of...

  36. Rebecca Haw Allensworth on How Professional Licenses are Rigging the Game for Insiders

    Yascha Mounk and Rebecca Haw Allensworth examine how professional licensing has become America’s most important—and most restrictive—regulatory institution. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email:...

  37. Steve Stewart-Williams on Sex Differences and Human Nature

    Yascha Mounk and Steve Stewart-Williams examine what science reveals about biological and psychological differences between men and women. Steve Stewart-Williams is a professor of Psychology at the University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus and runs The Nature-Nurture-Nietzsche Newsletter. His...

  38. Jeremiah Johnson on Why Gen Z Isn’t Actually Doomed

    Yascha Mounk and Jeremiah Johnson examine the disconnect between economic data and public sentiment about young Americans’ prospects. Jeremiah Johnson is the co-founder of the Center for New Liberalism. He hosts the New Liberal Podcast and writes at Infinite Scroll. In this week’s conversation,...

  39. Kathryn Paige Harden on How Genetics Shapes Human Behavior

    Yascha Mounk and Paige Harden discuss twin studies, heritability research, and why genetic influence varies across different traits and populations. Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where she leads the Developmental Behavior...

  40. H.W. Brands on the Making of George Washington

    Yascha Mounk and H.W. Brands discuss the first U.S. president’s life and legacy. H. W. Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin and is the author of more than a dozen biographies and histories. His latest book is American Patriarch: The Life of...

  41. James Traub on Why American Classrooms Are Failing Democracy

    Yascha Mounk and James Traub examine how progressive teaching methods are producing citizens who can't think critically. James Traub is a journalist, author and scholar. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the New York Institute For The Humanities and the Society of American...

  42. Marc Lipsitch on Playing Pandemic Roulette in the Lab

    Yascha Mounk and Marc Lipsitch also discuss how worried we should be about Hantavirus and Ebola. Marc Lipsitch is the Berberian Professor at Stanford University, with appointments in Infectious Diseases, Biology, and the Center for International Security and Cooperation. In this week’s...

  43. The Good Fight Club: The Vibe Shift That Wasn’t, White Identity Politics, and “When They Go Low, We Go Low”

    Amanda Ripley, Jesse Singal, Thomas Chatterton Williams, and Yascha Mounk explore Trump’s failed cultural revolution. In this week’s episode of The Good Fight Club, Yascha Mounk, Amanda Ripley, Jesse Singal, and Thomas Chatterton Williams explore whether Trump has succeeded in remaking American...

  44. Al Roth on Why People Should Be Free to Sell Their Kidneys

    Yascha Mounk and Al Roth discuss what we miss when we separate economics from human emotion. Alvin E. Roth is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University and the George Gund Professor of Economics and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University. He was…

    more
  45. Timothy Garton Ash on Europe’s Political Fragmentation

    Yascha Mounk and Timothy Garton Ash discuss how Britain’s shift toward populism reflects broader European trends. Timothy Garton Ash is the author of Homelands: A Personal History of Europe and writes the newsletter History of the Present. His upcoming book, Europe in 7½ Chapters, will be…

    more
  46. Laurenz Guenther on the Representation Gap in Politics

    Yascha Mounk and Laurenz Guenther discuss why ordinary voters and political elites disagree on immigration, crime, and social issues. Laurenz Guenther is a political economist at the Toulouse School of Economics and a Fellow at the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University. His...

  47. Lant Pritchett on Why Foreign Aid Misses the Point

    Yascha Mounk and Lant Pritchett discuss why development requires building state capability, not just charitable interventions. Lant Pritchett is a development economist from Idaho. Having now thrice retired, he is currently a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics in the School of...

  48. David Bromwich on Why Americans Have Lost Faith in Universities

    Yascha Mounk and David Bromwich discuss grade inflation, political conformity, and the crisis of trust in higher education. David Bromwich has taught literature at Yale University since 1988. His books include Hazlitt: the Mind of a Critic, The Intellectual Life of Edmund Burke, How Words Make...

  49. Luis Garicano on the Economics of Artificial Intelligence

    Yascha Mounk and Luis Garicano discuss how AI will reshape labor markets, productivity, and economic growth. Luis Garicano is Professor of Public Policy at the London School of Economics. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Luis Garicano discuss the economic magnitude of AI’s...

  50. Jacob Mchangama on the Global Free Speech Recession

    Yascha Mounk and Jacob Mchangama discuss how democracies and dictatorships alike have turned against online speech freedom. Jacob Mchangama is the Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and a research professor at Vanderbilt University, as well as a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for...

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

"The Good Fight," the podcast that searches for the ideas, policies and strategies that can beat authoritarian populism.Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight.If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone.Email: [email protected]: @Yascha_MounkWebsite: http://www.persuasion.community

HOSTED BY

Yascha Mounk

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Good Fight have?

The Good Fight currently has 498 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Good Fight about?

"The Good Fight," the podcast that searches for the ideas, policies and strategies that can beat authoritarian populism.Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight.If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone.Email:...

How often does The Good Fight release new episodes?

The Good Fight publishes regularly with 498 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to The Good Fight?

You can listen to The Good Fight on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Good Fight?

The Good Fight is created and hosted by Yascha Mounk.
URL copied to clipboard!