Comps List Radio

In this very special episode of Comps List Radio, Rob and Marie are joined by the entire H-Pol Team: Aakriti Sethi, Rebeca Leffler, and Grant Madsen to discuss "The Federalist Papers," and their lingering importance for American historians. We discuss the most important themes, how the Federalist Papers shapes our understanding of the Constitution, some of the "greatest hits," and some of our favo...

In this episode, Marie and Rob discuss the towering legacy of Douglass Adair's 1943 dissertation that launched the Republican Synthesis understanding of the American founding. We highlight his Madison partisanship, his treatment of Hamilton as a reactionary, and how the founders' shared understanding of Aristotle and Thucydides had scarred them. If you want to understand why you (probably) underst...

This episode explores the ideological foundations of the American Revolution, focusing on Bernard Bailyn's "Ideological Origins of the American Revolution," and Caroline Robbins' "The Eighteenth Century Commonwealthmen." We discuss how ideas from British political culture influenced American revolutionary thought, the role of pamphlets, and the enduring legacy of English liberalism. At the heart i...

Have you ever thought of the US Constitution as an economic document? Charles Beard, one of the most important historians of the 20th century, did. In this episode, Robert Ferguson and Marie Totten explore Charles Austin Beard's influential work, 'An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution,' analyzing its impact on American historiography and its relevance to understanding the founding fathers...

In this episode, Robert Ferguson and Marie Totten explore John Hope Franklin's influential work on Reconstruction, challenging traditional narratives and emphasizing the progress and potential of the era. They discuss Franklin's background, his impact on historiography, and the importance of understanding Reconstruction as a complex, political, and transformative period. Key questions we are left...

Rob and Marie are joined by Columbia Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Richard John, author of Spreading the News and Network Nation, to discuss the life and magnum opus of his mentor Alfred Chandler. Rob and Marie pepper Dr. John with questions about how Alfred Chandler's "Visible Hand" shaped the field of business history, engaged with political history, and why his insights remain relevant t...

Grant Madsen from BYU pinch hits for Marie this week as Rob and Grant discuss this classic of the diplomatic history field. They keep coming back to Williams the man, and how this book reflects both a deep connection with America and yet a deep alienation from it. Both Grant and Rob, while not explicitly diplomatic historians, dabble in that field enough for this book (and books inspired by it) to...

In this week's episode, Marie takes a break from tornadoes and Rob battles the Arizona heat to bring an in-depth discussion on the great consensus history "The Liberal Tradition in America." We analyze the Cold War context that Hartz was writing in, his perspective on the intellectual battle that undergirded much of the Cold War, and why consensus history was such a breath of fresh air compared to...

This episode explores the influential work of Wiebe on the Progressive Era, analyzing the rise of the bureaucratic state, regional identities, and the role of young professionals in shaping American history from 1877 to 1920. We discuss the book's insights, style, and its relevance to understanding American political and social transformations.

In this week's episode, Rob and Marie dive into Richard Hofstadter's iconic The Idea of a Party System: The Rise of Legitimate Opposition in the United States, 1780-1840. The duo discuss Hofstadter's purpose in writing the book, the novelty of legitimate opposition in the 1790s, analyze the political perspectives of the Virginia Dynasty and conclude with some speculation about how Hofstadter's Van...

In this episode, Marie and Rob discuss Ellis Hawley's "The New Deal and the Problem of Monopoly." We begin by introducing Hawley and his importance to the field, we then transition to the politics of New Deal history, and then finish with a deep analysis of this book. Some highlights include our appreciation of Hawley's tripartite division within the New Deal, an extended discussion on the NIRA, a...

In their debut episode, Marie and Rob dig out an old favorite... C. Vann Woodward's "Origins of the New South," and discuss his analysis of race, populism, sectionalism, and why this is the foundational book of modern Southern history. Also, Marie had to singlehandedly investigate what might have been a serious crimewave in downtown Conway.