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All Episodes

The American Idea — 239 episodes

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Title
1

A Sober View of Human Nature: Federalist 10 and Factions

2

More than a Document: Living the Declaration of Independence

3

Our Right to Privacy and the 4th Amendment

4

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations at 250 Years

5

Returning to First Principles: America's Machiavellian Moment?

6

Religious Liberty at the Founding and Today

7

The Voting Rights Act and the Callais Supreme Court Decision - Context and Analysis

8

School Choice: The Past, Present, and Future of a Movement

9

"Mischievous Cousins' - A British Perspective on the American Revolution

10

From 1776 to Civil Rights: How the Declaration Shaped the Struggle for Equality

11

Ronald Reagan and the Declaration of Independence

12

From Madison to Modern Politics: The Separation of Powers Debate

13

Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Prevent World War III

14

Missouri v. Biden: Free Speech, Coercion, and Government Power

15

Natural Rights: The Declaration's Central Claim

16

The Causes and Politics of Financial Bubbles

17

Did FDR Threaten the Fundamental Freedoms in the Bill of Rights?

18

Thomas Willing: The Revolution’s Forgotten Financier

19

What Can We Learn from the Antifederalists?

20

James Madison and The Federalist

21

How to Read The Federalist

22

George Washington - The Indispensable Founding Father

23

Thomas Jefferson: Essential American Founder

24

Huey Long - American Populist

25

Women’s Suffrage, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the Declaration of Independence

26

What Makes Americans a "Declarational" People?

27

The American Revolution and the Fate of the World

28

2025 End of Year Message: Looking Back and Forward

29

Special Episode: Born American, But in the Wrong Place

30

How Does the Declaration of Independence Influence the Constitution?

31

When in the Course of Human Events: Creating the Declaration of Independence

32

“If they mean to have a war...”: The Causes of the American Revolution

33

What Did Frederick Douglass Think of Abraham Lincoln?

34

The Constitution and the Rule of Law

35

Want to Understand America? Study the Gettysburg Address

36

Entitlement Reform: A Problem We Can No Longer Avoid

37

Inside Camp David - The Private World of the Presidential Retreat

38

Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist

39

What Can We Learn from Herbert Hoover?

40

Taking Manhattan - The Creation of New York

41

The Pathfinder and the President: John C. Fremont, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War

42

Congress: What It Was Meant to Be and What It's Become5

43

The Constitutional Convention was a Four-Act Drama

44

The American Way of War

45

What are Capital Markets and How Do They Impact Our Economy?

46

Old Man Eloquent: The Life and Letters of John Quincy Adams

47

Frederick Douglass's Constitutional Abolitionism

48

The End of World War 2 in the Pacific: VJ Day at 80 Years

49

"A Most Fearful Evil" - What is the National Debt and Why Should You Care About It?

50

Mercy Otis Warren - America's Forgotten Founding Historian and Thinker

51

Not the Arbiter of Truth - America's Complicated History of a Free Press

52

Inside the Reagan White House: A Conversation with Ambassador Frank Lavin

53

2025 United States Supreme Court Decisions - Commentary and Analysis

54

America's First Core Document - The Declaration of Independence

55

All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money

56

Sir William Blackstone's Influence on the American Founding

57

Why and How Did Slaveholders Oppose Free Speech?

58

Paul Nitze - America's Cold Warrior

59

The Extinction of Experience - Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Face of Technology

60

America's Place in the World - Empire, Neighbor, or Something Else?

61

Trump, Trade, and Tariffs - Historical Background and Current Analysis

62

VE Day at 80 Years - The End of WW2 in Europe

63

The Challenges of Creating an American Grand Strategy

64

No Fun Anymore: What's Happened to the NBA?

65

Lexington & Concord at 250 Years: Stories from the American Revolution

66

Do the Democrats Have an Ideology Problem?

67

Lessons in Liberty: What We Can Learn From the Lives of 10 Extraordinary Americans

68

The Statesmanship of Ronald Reagan

69

Abigail Adams: John's Confidant, Partner, and Advisor

70

Sleep Training the American People?

71

A Speech That Mattered - Lincoln's Second Inaugural

72

Adding the Lone Star - The Annexation and Statehood of Texas

73

The Conductor: America's Forgotten Father of the Abolition Movement

74

America's Foreign Policy Challenges as of Early 2025

75

Lincoln and the Presidential Pardon Power

76

Jimmy Carter - His Presidency, Politics, and Legacy

77

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Reconciliation

78

New Year, Same Problem: Our National Debt and Its Implications

79

America First - FDR vs Charles Lindbergh in the Shadow of War

80

Making the Presidency - John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic

81

Born American, But in the Wrong Place - A Special Episode of The American Idea

82

The Work of a Press Secretary: Politics and Perceptions | Contemporary Conversations

83

The Nazis' Last Gasp: The Battle of the Bulge at 80 Years

84

The Power and the Money - When Presidents and Captains of Industry Clash

85

Presidential Scandals - Crimes and Moral Failings From the Founding to the Present

86

America's Military Recruiting Crisis

87

Elections of 2024 - Analysis, Commentary, and Reflections

88

Angry American Politics - What We Can Learn From The Election of 1800

89

Freedom of the Press and the Rise of the Citizen Journalist

90

MacArthur's Return to the Philippines at 80 Years

91

Chinese Malware Apps - A Trojan Horse in Your Pocket

92

Civics Education - A Matter of the Heart and the Mind

93

The Anti Discrimination Regime - What is it and what does it mean for Liberty?

94

Operation Market-Garden at 80 Years: WW2's Last Massive Airborne Assault

95

Constitution Day 2024 with Jeff Sessions

96

National Prosperity and Free Enterprise - Is There a Connection?

97

Post-Conventions 2024 Elections Analysis: Where Do Things Stand?

98

Leadership Lessons from Two Legendary Coaches

99

Do Political Party Conventions Serve a Purpose Anymore?

100

U.S. Energy Policy: Opportunity and Self-Inflicted Wounds

101

The Crisis in Civic Education - What's Wrong and What Can We Do About It?

102

Free Speech - The Indispensable Right, with Jonathan Turley

103

2024 Supreme Court Decisions - Review and Analysis

104

Bullets Not Ballots? Political Violence in American History

105

Like a Bull Moose - Theodore Roosevelt and the Impact of Third Parties

106

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” - Frederick Douglass Teaches Us About Independence Day

107

"Charging Forward?" The History and Current Debate Over Electric Vehicles

108

Deadly Experiments - Contemporary Drug Policy Fads

109

How Much Power Does the Constitution Really Give a President? | Documents & Debates

110

D-Day at 80 Years: What Operation Overlord Accomplished

111

Bringing Home Forgotten MIAs - Memorial Day 2024 with Project Recover

112

When Disaster Strikes: Presidents and Emergencies | Documents & Debates

113

Energy and the Environment - Are Things as Bad as We're Told?

114

Did Federal Officials Pressure Social Media Companies to Censor Americans?

115

A Conversation with Vivek Ramaswamy

116

Bombing Hitler's Hometown - the Untold Story of the Last Mass Bombing Raid Over Europe in WW2 | Documents & Debates

117

World War 1's Far-Reaching Impact on America | Documents & Debates

118

The Importance of Good Local Government | American Core Ideas

119

Servant Leadership and Building a Winning Team | American Core Ideas

120

Perspectives on Leadership and Current Threats to America with Congressman Jim Jordan

121

China's Trojan Horse? Tik Tok and the Information Wars

122

The Harlem Renaissance - A Uniquely American Movement | Documents & Debates

123

Clear and Present Danger: The Use and Abuse of Presidential War Powers

124

Civilian-Military Relations from the Founding to Today

125

Not Getting What We're Paying For: U.S. Healthcare Policy

126

U.S. Energy Policy - The Pursuit of Failure

127

The Chevron Doctrine: What is it and How Does it Challenge Our Constitutional System?

128

Political Parties - Not Part of the Plan But There From the Beginning | Documents & Debates

129

The Hostage Crisis and America's Troubles with Iran | Documents & Debates

130

Jefferson, Race, and Slavery: A New Perspective

131

Parental Rights in Education | Contemporary Conversations

132

Core American Ideas: The Electoral College

133

American Portraits - Jazz: America's Classical Music

134

John Brown - American Extremist | American Portraits

135

Documents & Debates: Shipwrecked - A True Civil War Story

136

All the Troubles in the World: An Update on Israel, Ukraine, and China

137

Documents & Debates: Nixon, China, and Ramifications for Today

138

Documents & Debates: JFK's Assassination at 60 Years

139

Documents & Debates: The Gettysburg Address at 160 Years

140

Documents & Debates: The Battle of Tarawa at 80 Years

141

Contemporary Conversations: CRT, Identitarianism, and the Struggle for America's Heart and Mind

142

The Battle for the Speaker's Gavel | Contemporary Conversations

143

Documents & Debates: Court Packing Then, and Now?

144

Documents & Debates: American Exceptionalism and the Civil War

145

Core American Ideas: Separation of Powers - Why it Matters; Why We Should Care

146

American Portraits: Last Summer Boys

147

Contemporary Conversations: Ohio Attorney General David Yost on Constitution Day 2023

148

Contemporary Conversations: A "Post-America" American History?

149

Core American Ideas: Natural Rights and Limited Government

150

Contemporary Conversations: A Student's Journey

151

Documents & Debates: The Summer of Beer & Whiskey

152

Documents & Debates: Oppenheimer - Hollywood and History

153

Documents & Debates: Reconsidering the Atomic Bombs

154

Documents & Debate: LBJ, Vietnam, and the Cold War

155

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy Speaks About the Rule of Law

156

Documents & Debates: "To Address You As My Friend": African-Americans' Letters to Lincoln

157

American Portraits: James Garfield

158

Contemporary Conversations: School Censorship? It's Complicated...

159

Documents & Debates: The Battle of Gettysburg at 160 Years

160

Rapid Reaction: June 2023 Supreme Court Decisions

161

American Portraits: John C. Calhoun - American Heretic

162

Documents & Debates: FDR, Stalin, and the Rise of Russia as a World Power

163

Documents & Debates: Bank Failures and Federal Reserve Policy

164

Contemporary Conversations: Religious Liberty, the First Amendment, and the Courts

165

Documents & Debates: The Miracle of Lincoln's Nomination in 1860

166

American Portraits: Ernest Hemingway - American Icon

167

Documents and Debates: Don't Forget About Vicksburg

168

American Portraits: Alexander Hamilton

169

Documents & Debates: America's First Constitution - the Articles of Confederation

170

Contemporary Conversations: War in Ukraine

171

Born American, But in the Wrong Place

172

Documents and Debates: Stories from the American Revolution

173

Documents & Debates: Remember the Alamo!

174

Documents & Debates: The Legacy of the Progressives

175

Documents & Debates: Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War

176

Contemporary Conversations: Censorship and Banned Books

177

American Portraits: The Western in American Political Culture

178

Contemporary Conversations: The 1619 Project and Telling America's Story

179

Contemporary Conversations: War with China?

180

Documents and Debates: The President and the Freedom Fighter

181

American Portraits: Ulysses S. Grant

182

American Portraits: Calvin Coolidge

183

Documents & Debates: War - What's It Good For? The Expansion of Presidential Emergency Powers from the Founding to the Present

184

Contemporary Conversations: January 2023: The New Congress - Analysis and Historical Commentary

185

Documents and Debates: American? Or Victim of America? MLK and Malcom X

186

Contemporary Conversations: Back to School and the State of American Education

187

Documents & Debates: The Final Emancipation Proclamation

188

Ronald Reagan and the Fight for Freedom

189

Truck, Barter, and Exchange: Adam Smith’s Views on Trade, Economics, and Interpersonal Relations

190

Winston Churchill - Honorary American

191

Turning Points in World War 2

192

Free Speech and the State of the American University

193

The Great Society - A New History

194

Can We Save America? Abraham Lincoln and Our Troubled Politics

195

Elections 2022: Analysis and Commentary with UVA's Jim Ceaser

196

The American Idea | Secretary Mike Pompeo

197

The Battle for the Suburbs with Congressman Troy Balderson | Contemporary Conversations

198

The 2022 MIdterm Elections: Analysis and Forecasts

199

Upcoming Supreme Court Cases Worth Knowing About

200

Money is Not Wealth: What History Can Teach Us About Inflation

201

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 with Gordon Lloyd and Chris Burkett | Documents and Debates

202

Martin Luther King Jr. and Critical Race Theory with Peter Myers | Contemporary Conversations

203

Feminism and the #MeToo Movement | Taylor

204

John F. Kennedy and the Cold War with Stephen Knott | Documents and Debates

205

Rival Friends: The Adams-Jefferson Correspondence with Cara Rogers | Documents and Debates

206

The Declaration of Independence | Documents and Debates

207

Roe v. Wade Overturned and Other Historic Decisions of the Supreme Court's 2021-22 Term

208

Ralph Ellison, Juneteenth, and the Connection Between Literature, Culture, and Politics | Documents & Debates

209

Heroes of the Civil War | Documents and Debates

210

The Great Triumvirate with Jason Stevens | Documents and Debates

211

The Crisis of Civic Education: What Can We Do? with David Davenport | Contemporary Conversations

212

King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail with Greg McBrayer | Documents and Debates

213

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin with Chris Burkett | Documents and Debates

214

George W. Bush with Stephen Knott | Presidential Portraits

215

Thomas Jefferson and Race with Cara Rogers | Documents and Debates

216

George Washington with Marc Landy | Presidential Portraits

217

The Unbroken Thread with Sohrab Ahmari | Contemporary Conversations

218

The Reagan Revolution with Greg McBrayer and John Moser | Documents and Debates

219

A Year in Review and Donor Conversations | Special Episode

220

The Collapse of Civic Education with Ken Starr | Contemporary Conversations

221

Peter W. Schramm's "Born American, but in the Wrong Place" | Special Episode

222

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" with Peter Myers | Documents and Debates

223

FDR, the Election of 1932, and the Birth of New Deal America with John Moser | Documents and Debates

224

The Evolution of the Vice Presidency with Stephen Knott | Contemporary Conversations

225

Vice President Mike Pence | Contemporary Conversations

226

How Should We Interpret the Constitution? with Donald Drakeman | Contemporary Conversations

227

Why the Progressive Era is Still Relevant Today with Jason Stevens | Documents and Debates

228

Susan B. Anthony, Founding Principles, and the Women's Suffrage Movement with Natalie Taylor | Documents and Debates

229

Democracy and American Prophets with Daniel Gullotta | Contemporary Conversations

230

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address with Lucas Morel | Documents and Debates

231

Free Speech and Journalism in American History with Joe Fornieri | Contemporary Conversations

232

Fox News Contributor Mollie Hemingway | Contemporary Conversations

233

The Gettysburg Address with Jason Stevens | Documents and Debates

234

"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" with Lucas Morel | Documents and Debates

235

Jefferson's Letters to Weightman and Lee with Cara Rogers | Documents and Debates

236

Washington's Farewell Address with Chris Burkett | Documents and Debates

237

Madison's Federalist Papers with Greg McBrayer | Documents and Debates

238

The Declaration of Independence with Chris Burkett | Documents and Debates

239

What is the American Idea? | Podcast Trailer