LSE Podcasts

Why do we buy so much stuff, and what would it take to break the cycle of overconsumption? In this episode of LSE iQ, Sue Windebank explores the social, psychological and economic forces that encourage us to keep buying, when many of the things that we own could be repaired, reused, or shared. Drawing on research in India, Julia Cohen (Corwin) from LSE's Department of Geography shares stories from...

The rise of polarization in American politics has made bipartisan cooperation on important policy issues much more difficult in recent years. Given the potential electoral repercussions of trying to work across the aisle, for many in Washington DC, working in a bipartisan manner has become an act of courage. This kind of political courage is at the centre of a new book by our guest on this episode...

In the past decade, America has taken steps that appear deliberately designed to unmake the international order which it set up more than 50 years ago. This has led some commentators to argue that the US is now a revisionist power, seeking to undermine the liberal international order in favour of the ideals of America First. To understand the consequences of this shift in America’s foreign policy,...

On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic. The conference brought together historians, political scientists, geographers, legal scholars, analysts, and practitioners from the US, EU, and the UK to consider the role of federalism in fuelling polarization in the US and how federalism may be leverag...

On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic. The conference brought together historians, political scientists, geographers, legal scholars, analysts, and practitioners from the US, EU, and the UK to consider the role of federalism in fuelling polarization in the US and how federalism may be leverag...

On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic. The conference brought together historians, political scientists, geographers, legal scholars, analysts, and practitioners from the US, EU, and the UK to consider the role of federalism in fuelling polarization in the US and how federalism may be leverag...

On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic. The conference brought together historians, political scientists, geographers, legal scholars, analysts, and practitioners from the US, EU, and the UK to consider the role of federalism in fuelling polarization in the US and how federalism may be leverag...

President Donald Trump’s two terms in the White House have seen the president criticize judges who make rulings he disagrees with, threaten military action, raise tariffs, and shutter federal agencies and departments all without congressional approval. These actions and others have led to warnings from many commentators that America is in a state of constitutional crisis. In September 2026, the Ph...

We all have an anecdote of a time when we’ve had an in-person conversation and then received an online advert about something we discussed. This leads many of us to believe our phones are eavesdropping on our conversations. In this episode of LSE iQ, Charlotte Kelloway asks: Are our phones listening to us? She speaks to Professor Edgar Whitley of LSE’s Department of Management about the dangers of...

Is America experiencing a constitutional crisis, or have we reached the point of constitutional failure? At this LSE Phelan US Centre event on 29 September 2026, leading scholar on American constitutional history, Professor Jack Rakove, explored this question in a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the US Constitution in the age of Trump with LSE’s President and Vice Chancellor, Professo...

Climate change is one of the most important issues facing the world today, with the rise in global temperature now predicted to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement in the next few years. Data is incredibly important when it comes to predicting climate change and its impacts. Now, climate scientists are increasingly using artificial intelligence to help them int...

As the popularity of AI continues to grow, this new technology is increasingly being applied to make decisions based on interactions with humans, and their behaviours. But what happens if the way these AI systems have been built mean that they get it wrong? AI systems are increasingly being used to make important decisions about people but are often being designed as if people don’t exist. In July...

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to commit in law to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But seven years later, the world looks very different. Since then, we've experienced a global pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy price shocks, US attacks on Iran, more energy price shocks, and growing political opposition to climate policies. As governments face compet...

The widening use of AI raises questions of transparency and accountability, as well as challenges for regulators. Since the emergence of AI as a highly transformative force for modern society, governments, industries, and communities have faced challenges in updating their policies to address the potentially harmful effects of unrestricted AI development and integration into everyday life. Yet as...

From helping assign tasks and determine prices on delivery and rideshare platforms to recommending certain individuals over others on freelance hiring sites, AI is fast becoming a core part of the modern gig economy. Yet even as companies continue to explore the possibilities unlocked by greater AI integration, many commentators both within and outside the gig economy have expressed concerns with...

AI has become easily accessible, easy to use, and for many people, it’s a useful tool. This means that AI is being used by individuals and institutions to help solve a variety of challenges, from everyday decision-making to pressing global issues. At the same time, however, many commentators and policymakers have expressed concerns about the effects of AI on society, politics, and the economy. In...

In 2026 the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. During this important year for the US, there are increasingly questions about its role in the world and how its citizens can shape its domestic and foreign policy. In 2026, the Phelan US Centre ran an essay competition for LSE master’s students with the prompt, “What role can democratic citizen...

The global economy is undergoing profound transformation. Geopolitical realignments, rising economic nationalism, climate disruption, trade fragmentation, and technological upheaval are reshaping the foundations of international economic relations. Recent trends point to a US retreat from global economic leadership and a turn toward economic nationalism and protectionism. US industrial policy has...

The 1990s were an important decade. They saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, falling trade barriers, an expanding capitalist democratic order and the rise of what came to be called the liberal international order. But the 1990s also sowed the seeds of the rise of populism and anti-globalism in Western democracies that are now complicating global politics and govern...

From stage-show stereotypes to life-changing treatment, this episode explores the science - and the myths - behind hypnosis and hypnotherapy. We uncover extraordinary stories of addiction recovery, pain relief, and everyday healing from a form of talking therapy that remains widely misunderstood. Asking whether we should take hypnotherapy more seriously, Joanna Bale talks to LSE anthropologist Dr...

The last two decades have seen significant growth in the relationship between China and the EU. Now, China is the EU’s biggest import and third-largest export partner. But this relationship is becoming increasingly one sided, with China’s industrial policy and economic protections making it increasingly difficult for Europe to sell its products there. And at the same time, there are fears that new...

While Trump’s foreign policy record has not been very successful elsewhere as wars continue to rage in Ukraine and in the Middle East, the exception is Europe which Trump seems to want to divide and weaken. To discuss the discordant relationship between Donald Trump and Europe, and how it can start to build relationships beyond the US, in March 2026 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Nathalie...

From the pets we love to the animals we rarely see, our relationship with non-human life is full of contradictions. In this episode, we explore what it really means to protect animals and whether welfare is enough, or if rights are the way forward. Beginning with a simple question inspired by my own dog, Pip, this episode moves from the personal to the global. Through conversations with experts in...

The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls. In this episode of The Ballpark, we speak with Dr Yu Jie, Senior research fellow on China with Chatham House. She argues that this relationship has led...

Donald Trump’s first presidential term meant that many allies, including in the EU and Europe, were forced to consider the possibility that the United States could no longer be a reliable partner in global affairs. With Trump’s return to the White House last year and the resurgence of his “America First” agenda, Europe has had to return to that way of thinking as it reconsiders its own economic an...