History Is Relevant

How did Trump, a deeply flawed candidate who stumbled often during the 2016 campaign, win the presidential election? There are familiar explanations for the outcome. Analysts point out that Trump blamed China for the decline of manufacturing in the USA and he criticized immigration. Trump excited voters with promises to create new jobs and “Make America Great Again.” Also, Clinton failed to give a...

The Supreme Court ‘s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v FEC declared the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent financial contributions. In subsequent years wealthy individuals, large corporations, and special interest groups poured billions of dollars into political campaigns. Candidates that received those hefty donations often dominated political communications. The...

The guest is Steve Bevis. He is a communications professional who met and worked with presidents, senators, representatives, governors, and corporate executives.  Bevis recalls the racial injustices he saw growing up in Alabama. He discusses important changes in race relations in the South from the Civil War to the present. There was considerable progress in the 1960s and later, he notes, but setb...

Lord Acton gave us a memorable sentence that you’ve heard many times. He said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton’s statement resonates now, because it pretty much describes Donald Trump’s modus operandi. President Trump cannot get everything he wants in America’s constitutional political system, but he’s certainly trying hard to dominate America’s domestic...

Many conservatives in the GOP are disillusioned with the direction of the country under President Trump. They support the Republican Party and its values but are troubled by the party’s growing extremism. Is there a path back toward mainstream politics in Republican affairs? President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s philosophy and governance may offer a way forward. There are lessons from Eisenhower’s pres...

Will the Electoral College continue to undermine American democracy? Perhaps. But efforts to reform the system are continuing. A new effort is gaining support to do an end run around the Electoral College and achieve reform without a constitutional amendment. That program is called the National Popular Vote, or NPV. It might create a solution. 

Right-wing commentators and politicians frequently portray billionaire philanthropist George Soros as a dangerous figure, often casting him as a "puppet master" behind global events and liberal causes. They describe him as a shadowy force that manipulates politics, economics, and the mass media.  Others praise Soros, pointing out that he gave away most of his fortune to support humanitar...

How did the United States stumble into a war that led to missile and drone strikes by Iran that produced enormous damage throughout the Middle East? Oil and gas prices spiraled, creating huge economic problems in America and the world. And, of course, the war produced a vast humanitarian crisis. Why did President Trump launch that controversial war? Many Americans are frustrated because they have...

Back in 2013 a moderate candidate won Iran’s presidential election. That leader proceeded to work a deal that significantly limited Iran’s nuclear development. The United Nations supported that agreement and six major countries signed on, including the United States. The settlement was effective. Inspectors made several site visits and reported the Iranians honored terms of the agreement. If negot...

President Trump often loses focus and goes off on a tangent. A notable example occurred on March 2, 2026. Trump briefly and vaguely mentioned his decision to order attacks on Iran and then commented in detail about construction of a new ballroom and his selection of drapes for the White House. Numerous mental health professionals have expressed concern about the President’s bizarre speech patterns...

The United States’ economy has grown enormously in recent decades, yet many Americans are not cheerful and confident. Polls in early 2026 reported consumer confidence in the United States was at the lowest point in a dozen years. Furthermore, the 2025 World Happiness Report showed the American people’s contentment dropped to 24th in the world. That was the lowest level ever recorded for the USA in...

Critics worry that President Trump has threatened a federal takeover of voting activities throughout the USA. That is a significant danger, but another risk is getting much less attention. Americans stirred by false charges about voter fraud might try to take matters into their own hands and try to shape the outcome of an election.  That behavior was evident in a small but significant case of hiji...

There have been many shocking news stories recently about aggression by uniformed, masked, and armed ICE agents, but none excited as much public outrage as the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. That tragedy was sadly predictable. When armed paramilitary agents confront protesters complaining about injustices, there is potential for bloodshed. One of the most notable examples of that combustib...

Why has socialism, which failed to attract many voters throughout American history, gained popularity in recent years? How did a Democratic Socialist, Zohran Mamdani, manage to win a mayoral election in New York City, the hub of American capitalism?  This podcast identifies the sources of Mamdani’s popularity and examines the historical record of socialism in the USA. It also highlights the ideas...

One of the current best-selling books is about excessive risk-taking that preceded the meltdown on Wall Street in 1929 and the Great Depression that followed in the 1930s. The author warns that similar practices are putting economies at risk today. He notes that financiers are encouraging the public to invest in private equity, crypto, and other chancy products. They are hawking dangerous investme...

  In the 1850s stories about desperate runaway slaves trying to evade capture in the northern states aroused sympathy for the fugitives and stoked anti-slavery sentiment. A related impact seems to be taking shape in our times. Videos showing the tragic experiences of undocumented immigrants grabbed by ICE agents are provoking negative responses from the American public. Polls register growing crit...

When a refugee from Afghanistan allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington D.C., discussions about the tragedy invoked memories of America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan in 2021. Partisans invoked different lessons when describing that crisis. Republicans blamed President Joe Biden. They said he failed to plan an orderly withdrawal. Democrats blamed President Donald Trump. They pointed o...

  American Society is now deeply split along ideological and cultural lines. When did this polarization intensify? One among several key turning points occurred in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork for a seat on the Supreme Court. Bork’s controversial statements about American society and the law provoked intense opposition. Senators rejected the nomination. Many of the issue...

Can Netflix’s recent film, The House of Dynamite and other movies like it influence public opinion regarding nuclear warfare? The historical record from the 1950s until recent times shows that sometimes this cinema does have an impact. The films also reflect public concerns at the time they were produced. This discussion begins with an examination of two movies that influenced Ronald Reagan’s thin...

Public opinion polls show President Trump’s approval rating has slipped substantially since his second inauguration. Do those results indicate vulnerability? If the trend line continues, could President Trump begin to lose his grip on the reins of political power?  Despite this evidence, discussions in the national media contain little speculation about declining influence. Instead, the national m...

This podcast discusses the significance of four important aspects of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and it considers the relevance of that history to politics in our times. First, the podcast deals with the controversy regarding President Gerald Ford’s decision to pardon Richard Nixon. Secondly, it examines the Nixon administration’s effo...

When Kimmel returned to ABC Television after a temporary suspension, he delivered a powerful defense of the American people’s right to criticize political leaders and their policies. This podcast traces the evolution of ideas about free speech from a court case in 1735 to the present. It notes that some of the most important efforts to deal with the rights and limitations of speech and press occur...

Medical science had pretty much eradicated measles by the year 2000, but an outbreak occurred recently in Texas and other states largely because many children had not been vaccinated. Public resistance to vaccination has grown in recent years, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has cut vaccine research drastically. Could resistance to medical science run amok,...

Why have Republicans and Democrats become sharply divided about dealing with immigration? Is compromise possible? There are no easy solutions for settling disputes, but this podcast suggests ideas. It identifies an important lesson from history that is frequently overlooked. For decades, we’ve all been engaged in illegal activity when dealing with immigration -- American citizens, American busines...

Ordinarily, American presidents don’t vilify previous chief executives, but Donald Trump is different. Trump routinely criticizes former presidents, especially Democrats. No president is so consistently the target of Trump’s contempt as Barak Obama.  What is the source of that negativity? Trump’s behavior might spring from anger over humorous remarks Obama made years ago. Barack Obama’s jesting ma...