Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchPolitics on Trial: Darwin vs God / Darrow vs Bryan – the Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial
Season 13 Episode 234
We return to our series about the most significant trials in history with the trial of the twentieth century: Scopes ‘Monkey’ (1925), which was meant to be about a Tennessee schoolteacher but became …
Published on 17 hours ago
Live Special: Who Rules the World? Trump, Tech and the Fight for the Future
Episode 233
Today’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival: David talks to Bruno Maçães and Sarah Wynn-Williams about who is winning in the fight for control betwe…
Published on 4 days, 17 hours ago
Fixing Democracy Q&A w/David Klemperer: Oligarchy, Ageing Populations and How to Make Things Worse
Season 15 Episode 232
In today’s episode the two Davids try to answer some of the hundreds of questions, comments and suggestions we have had in response to this series, ranging from the very broad to the very specific. H…
Published on 1 week ago
Fixing Democracy: Confronting the Strongmen
Season 15 Episode 231
For the final episode in this series David talks to historian Ayse Zarakol about the prospects for democracy in the age of strongman politics, from Trump to Erdogan, from Orban to Modi. Where did the…
Published on 1 week, 4 days ago
Fixing Democracy: TikTok, Disinformation and Distraction
Season 15 Episode 230
In our penultimate episode in this series David talks to writer Sam Freedman about whether democracy can cope with the demands of the social media age. Are we really more vulnerable to disinformation…
Published on 2 weeks ago
Live Special: Prime Minister Farage?
Episode 229
In this special live episode recorded in front of pupils from Hill House and Hayfield schools in Doncaster, David talks to political scientist Rob Ford about whether Nigel Farage is really going to b…
Published on 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Fixing Democracy: Better Rhetoric
Season 15 Episode 228
David talks to political theorist Alan Finlayson about what’s gone wrong with political speech and how it can be improved. Why do so many contemporary political arguments feel so sterile? What can we…
Published on 3 weeks ago
Fixing Democracy: Compulsory Voting
Season 15 Episode 227
In today’s episode David talks to political historian David Klemperer about whether voting should be required by law and what might change if non-participation was no longer an option. Why have some …
Published on 3 weeks, 4 days ago
Fixing Democracy: What’s Wrong with Referendums?
Season 15 Episode 226
In today’s episode David talks to Alan Renwick from UCL’s Constitution Unit about the pros and cons of referendums. When does a democratic question need to be put direct to the people? Do some countr…
Published on 4 weeks ago
Now & Then with Robert Saunders: From Kinnock to Corbyn to Starmer
Season 14 Episode 225
The second part of David’s conversation with Robert Saunders marking the 40th anniversary of Neil Kinnock’s party conference speech attacking the Militant tendency takes the story up to the present a…
Published on 1 month ago