The American Idea

Was the American Revolution just a regional rebellion on the eastern seaboard, or something far larger? Professor Richard Bell, author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World , argues it was a geopolitical earthquake that reshaped the global order. In this episode, Bell explores how France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the conflict for their own strategic reasons, why Jamaica ma...

Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, shares a brief message about the reasons behind and goals of The American Idea, as well as Ashbrook’s plans to celebrate 250 years of America’s independence. Learn more at Ashbrook.org , or about our celebratory plans for 2026 at AshbrookFreedom250.org Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton...

What does it mean to be American? How does one become an American? Join us for this special episode as Peter Schramm, past Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center and Professor of Political Science, discusses his family's flight from Communist Hungary, move to California, and growing up in his adopted home, learning the answers to those questions and, in his career, teaching native-born American...

The Declaration of Independence summarizes and defends the most fundamental ideas about America - about our government, the relationship between it and individuals, and how its proper place in public life. If the Constitution is a set of rules and processes, with a 'mission statement' in the Preamble, the Declaration of Independence presents the ideas that call for those rules and processes, and m...

Summer, 1776: the war for independence is over a year old and the leaders of the 13 colonies have finally decided that independence is their goal. How shall they explain America’s aims and reasons to her own people and to the world? A committee of five was selected to draft the document; the Second Continental Congress debated, revised, and voted on the document; and the world was never the same a...

The American Revolution, born in the hearts and minds of Americans in response to British tyranny, is one of the most pivotal moments in human political and national history. But what caused it? It’s a lot deeper than taxes or tea, and as we prepare for America’s 250th birthday, it’s a good time to look back, and look deeply at the roots of the revolution, and what our Founders thought about the r...

What Did Frederick Douglass Really Think of Abraham Lincoln? Discover the complex relationship between two of America's most influential figures in this revealing conversation about a groundbreaking new book. Historians John White and Lucas Morel unveil previously unknown letters and documents that transform our understanding of how Frederick Douglass viewed Abraham Lincoln—from harsh critic to re...

Jeff is joined by Justice Sharon Kennedy, Chief Justice of the Ohio State Supreme Court to discuss the Rule of Law - what is it? Why is it so essential to limited, fair government? How is it promoted, protected, and how can we understand it better so as to pass on its value to future generations? Join us as we look at some of the most foundational, essential ideas, moments, and events in our histo...

America is, at its core, a nation founded on ideas, and those ideas have faced criticism, revision, and review over the centuries. Abraham Lincoln, who once said that he didn’t have a political idea that didn’t spring from the Declaration of Independence, not only reframed the meaning of the Civil War, but also pointed back to America’s Founding to assert what America should and could be in the fu...

What are entitlements? How did they come to be so entrenched in American politics and economics? Why is it that people say that Social Security is going to run out of money? What does this have to do with you? Jeff welcomes analyst Jim Capretta to discuss the origins of America’s entitlement programs, how they have evolved, and why we are reaching a point where something must be done to shore up p...

Jeff is joined this week by Rear Admiral Mike Giorgione (ret.), former commander of Camp David during the Clinton and Bush administrations, to discuss the creation, evolution, and role of the president’s Maryland retreat. Get the book here: https://a.co/d/aHCzcuS Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Alexander Hamilton didn’t get his due until a Hip-Hip musical brought him to the public eye, over 200 years after his death. But what did he contribute to the American Founding? What did he contribute to the #1 cited source by the Supreme Court, The Federalist? Renowned historian and author Stephen Knott joins Jeff to kick off our series of “Freedom for the Next 250” episodes, leading up to Americ...

Think Herbert Hoover was just a failed Great Depression president? Think again. Historian George Nash reveals the shocking truth about one of America's most misunderstood leaders in this eye-opening episode of The American Idea. What You'll Discover: How Hoover saved more lives than perhaps any person in history through WWI humanitarian efforts Why both Democrats AND Republicans wanted him as pres...

Taking Manhattan, available on Amazon - https://a.co/d/eQTNGWV https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/ Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton On Apple Podcasts: https://tr.ee/aTARALr9Gx On Spotify: https://tr.ee/09Ca21CCp- On iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-american-idea-119582945/

In August 1861, General John C. Fremont—once America's most famous explorer and the Republican Party's first presidential nominee—issued an unauthorized order freeing all slaves in Missouri. President Lincoln swiftly revoked it, fearing the decision would drive crucial border states into Confederate hands. The clash between these two men revealed a fundamental tension: Fremont operated on moral ur...

What was the original purpose of Congress? What powers did the Founders give it to fulfill that purpose? How does that compare to the institution we see today, in which Americans profess very little trust. Explore the historical and constitutional roots of the “First Branch” and how time and some well-intentioned changes have distorted its powers and role within our government. Host: Jeff Sikkenga...

Discover how 55 delegates created the U.S. Constitution in just 88 days during the summer of 1787. Constitutional scholar Gordon Lloyd breaks down the Philadelphia Convention using his acclaimed "four-act drama" framework, revealing the behind-the-scenes negotiations, heated debates, and crucial compromises that shaped American government. What You'll Learn: ✓ How Madison's Virginia Plan clashed w...

This episode explores James Ellman's book "Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War" with host Jeff Sikkenga from the Ashbrook Center. This military strategy documentary examines how US war tactics follow a consistent pattern: initial strategic defeats followed by rapid adaptation and ultimate victory. From Washington's military disasters in New York (1776) to early setbacks...

You hear about them in the news, but how much do you know about capital markets - what they are, why they exist, how they've evolved over time, and what role the play in our economy and politics? Jeff discusses these in plain language with Bob Selvaggio, Head of Analytics at Rutter Associates. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Jeff welcomes Michael Lucchese, Editor of Law & Liberty, to discuss the life, accomplishments, and ideas of John Quincy Adams - a man whose public life was almost his entire life. Read more about him: https://www.loa.org/writers/672-john-quincy-adams/ Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Jeff and BYU law professor Bradley Rebeiro discuss Frederick Douglass’s understanding of the Constitution, and how he came to view it as an anti-slavery document, using it to promote abolition. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

14 August 1945: VJ Day, and with the end of fighting in the Pacific and Japan's surrender, World War 2 finally comes to an end. Dr. John Moser is joined today by author and historian Walter Borneman to discuss how and why the war ended when it did, and how that ending shaped the decades to come, and, indeed, our world today in political and strategic terms. Read Walt's book, The Admirals, and lear...

What is the national debt? To whom or what does the U.S. government owe all this money? What does it mean to you today, your children and grandchildren tomorrow, and for the continued health of American political and economics institutions and norms? Jeff discusses all these issues and more with Dr. Rob Wyllie, Professor of Political Economy. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton S...

Mercy Otis Warren not only wrote one of the first comprehensive histories of the American Revolution, she was also a leading Antifederalist thinker - and yet she is overlooked in most conventional histories of the era today. What makes her important and memorable? What can we learn from her today? Join Dr. Cara Rogers Stevens this week as she discusses this important American Founder with Brenda H...

American press freedom has never followed a straight path. The Founding Fathers envisioned newspapers as partisan political weapons, not neutral truth-tellers. This "messy" approach let citizens decide truth for themselves rather than accepting government-approved narratives. Today's concerns about partisan media miss the point—embracing partisanship may produce healthier discourse than enforcing...