Conversations with Bill Kristol

Charles Murray, one of America’s preeminent thinkers, is an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. In this Conversation, Murray reflects on the major themes of his work and shares his perspective on the state of American society in 2018. Engaging the arguments of his seminal books including "Losing Ground," "The Bell Curve," "In Pursuit," and "Com...

Veteran Republican political strategist and commentator Mike Murphy shares his perspective on possible scenarios as we head toward the midterm elections and 2020. Will Republicans hold Congress? What are Trump's prospects for reelection (and renomination)? What kind of presidential candidate might Democrats choose? Could there be a viable independent candidacy in 2020? Murphy and Kristol discuss t...

John Podhoretz is the editor of "Commentary" and film critic of "The Weekly Standard." Podhoretz shares his perspective on movies as an American art form, pivotal eras in filmmaking (the 1930s and the 1970s), Hollywood today, and the broader cultural significance of movies and TV. Kristol and Podhoretz also consider innovations in television during the last decades and whether...

In his fourth appearance on Conversations, former world chess champion and human rights activist Garry Kasparov discusses artificial intelligence and the political and social implications of it. Drawing on his recent book "Deep Thinking," Kasparov outlines what he considers the potential of new technologies built on “machine learning.” Kasparov explains why free societies must prioritize...

Jack Goldsmith is a professor of law at Harvard University and served as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel (2003-2004). In this Conversation, Goldsmith shares his perspective on how American institutions, and political and cultural norms, have fared during the Trump presidency. While arguing that judicial independence and other constitutional checks and balances remain robu...

In this Conversation, Harvey Mansfield considers the connection between the thought of Alexis de Tocqueville and Niccolo Machiavelli. In Tocqueville's "Democracy in America," there is just one reference to Machiavelli. Yet, according to Mansfield’s illuminating interpretation, Tocqueville draws significantly on Machiavelli’s thought—and ambition. Even while opposing the effects of Machia...

Dan Balz is chief correspondent at The Washington Post, having been a political reporter and editor at the paper for four decades. In this Conversation, Balz shares his perspective on the increasing fragmentation of the media—and the dramatic rise of social media as a political force. Balz also discusses Donald Trump’s relationship with the media, and considers how Trump's experience in the world...

Kristen Soltis Anderson is a pollster, author, and political analyst. In this Conversation with Bill Kristol, Anderson considers the millennial generation and shares her research on their political, social, and cultural attitudes. She also reflects on the longstanding failure of the Republican Party to attract younger voters, and explains why these difficulties may be getting worse. Finally, Krist...

In his third appearance on Conversations, National Review senior editor Jonah Goldberg joins Bill Kristol to discuss how the first year of the Trump presidency has affected American politics in general and conservatism in particular. Goldberg and Kristol also reflect on the history of the conservative movement and consider the prospects for American conservatism in the years to come.

Former Senator Spencer Abraham and former Congressman Vin Weber are both respected political strategists and thoughtful analysts of American politics. In this release, Abraham and Weber join Bill Kristol for a wide-ranging Conversation about our current political moment. Analyzing both the Republican and Democratic parties and the Trump presidency, the group look ahead to elections in 2018 and 202...

The Hertog Scholar at the Center for Strategic Studies, Eric Edelman has had a distinguished career in government, serving as ambassador to Turkey and to Finland, and as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the George W. Bush administration. In this Conversation, Edelman considers the rise of authoritarianism around the globe and explains why it threatens world order. Drawing on his extensive...

In his fourth Conversation, University of Virginia literature professor Paul Cantor discusses Shakespeare’s view of ancient Rome. Drawing from his new book Shakespeare’s Roman Trilogy, Cantor presents illuminating interpretations of Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. As Cantor explains, Shakespeare’s Roman plays compel us to reflect on perennial human questions such as the tensio...

Co-Director of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Thomas Donnelly analyzes the growing challenges to American primacy and explains why our “security, liberty, and prosperity seem to be at greater risk than at any time in a generation.” Considering mounting threats from Russia, China, the Middle East, as well as the consequences of nuclear proliferati...

Christina Hoff Sommers is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and host of the popular online series, The Factual Feminist. In this Conversation, Sommers reflects on the “Google memo” and argues that the suppression of free speech at universities now is spilling over into other parts of American life. Sommers also returns to the subject of “GamerGate,” the backlash against polit...

The latest in our ongoing series with Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield is devoted to Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) and particularly his masterwork, Gulliver’s Travels. In this Conversation, Mansfield provides an in-depth interpretation of Swift’s writing, which Mansfield calls “essentially political.” Through his illuminating analysis of Gulliver’s voyages and encounters, Mansfield uncovers Swift’s...

Irwin Stelzer is Director of Economic Policy Studies at Hudson Institute, a Sunday Times (London) columnist, and a thinker who combines wisdom about politics with penetrating insights into economics. In this Conversation, Stelzer shares his perspective on threats to American democratic capitalism, including the “feeling that compensation and performance have become disconnected.” To address these...

Ronald Brownstein is a Senior Editor at The Atlantic, Senior Political Analyst at CNN, and a shrewd observer of American politics. In this Conversation, Brownstein shares his perspective on the 2016 elections and explains why Trump’s path to victory represents the culmination of long-term trends in the ways voters relate to the political system and the two parties. Brownstein also discusses the pa...

Mike Murphy is a Republican political strategist, commentator, and veteran of the campaign trail—having advised John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Spencer Abraham, Christie Whitman, among many others. In this Conversation, Murphy shares his perspective on the 2016 elections, the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, and the challenges both Republicans and Democrats fac...

Martin Feldstein is a professor of economics at Harvard University, former president of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Reagan (1982-1984). In this Conversation, Feldstein discusses the financial crisis of 2008, the policy mistakes that led to it, and the risks we face today from a sustained policy of low interest rates...

Josh Bolten was White House Chief of Staff from 2006-2009, having served as Deputy Chief of Staff (2001-2003) and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (2003-2006). In this Conversation, Bolten reflects on his tenure in the George W. Bush administration, particularly his experiences in the White House on September 11, 2001 and responding to the financial crisis of 2008. Bolten and Kristo...

A veteran of the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, John Walters was “Drug Czar” of the George W. Bush administration (director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy from 2001-2009). In this Conversation, Walters discusses the opioid epidemic and the country's shocking passivity about addressing the crisis seriously and comprehensively. Reflecting on the devastating consequen...

Elected in 2014, Ben Sasse is a U.S. Senator from Nebraska. In this Conversation, Sasse shares his thoughts on the state of American society and culture. Drawing on themes from his forthcoming book, The Vanishing American Adult, Sasse highlights an erosion of American civic life and a corresponding decline in work ethic. Along with Bill Kristol, he argues for the importance of a culture that promo...

In his twelfth Conversation with Bill Kristol, Harvey Mansfield discusses the Senate’s confirmation hearings for Neil Gorsuch. This event, says Mansfield, “turned out to be a lesson in politics. You were learning from people actually in politics about the issue: What’s the relationship between law and politics?” Beginning from the arguments of Senate Democrats and Republicans, Mansfield explains h...

Greg Mankiw is a professor of economics at Harvard University and was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush (2003-2005). In this Conversation, Mankiw analyzes the American economy and shares his perspective on current public policy debates about trade, immigration, technological innovation, jobs, and economic growth. Reflecting on the economic challenges the U...

A senior editor at The Weekly Standard, Christopher Caldwell is one of America’s leading journalists and most thoughtful commentators on Europe. In this Conversation, Caldwell reflects on the difficult situation in Europe today, highlighting what he calls its “demographic, economic, and military weakness.” Caldwell points to demographic decline, stagnant economies, the migrant crisis, the failure...