The American Idea

Law professor and scholar Jonathan Turley joins Jeff this week to talk about the importance of free speech, and just how threatened it is on college campuses, online, and by our own federal government. Learn more about America's eras of political rage and the challenges to free speech they present - and what each of us can do to protect this most essential right. #freespeech #firstamendment #covid...

Jeff is joined by legal scholar Josh Dunn to discuss the most recent decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, including those overturning the Chevron Doctrine, addressing free speech online, separation of powers, and presidential immunity. #ussc #supremecourt #chevrondoctrine #constitution Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/thea...

Join us for our special episode in response to the attempted assassination of (former) President Donald Trump on Saturday, 13 July 2024. Jeff discusses with Dr. John Moser the existence and impact of violence in American politics from the 19th Century onward, looking into attempted assassinations of Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan; and the actual murders of Abrah...

Jeff discusses the pivotal role Theodore Roosevelt played as a spoiler in the 1912 presidential election, and the legacy he left for Third Parties. Do they tend to be about ideas or personalities? Why don't they seem to last beyond an election cycle or two? How do they fit into our political culture and systems, and what can we learn from our past to help us grapple with today's divided political...

Jeff is joined by Lucas Morel, Professor of Political Science at Washington & Lee University, to commemorate Independence Day this year with commentary from, arguably, America’s greatest Civil Rights and abolition leader. Douglass, born into slavery, became the most powerful voice for emancipation and the destruction of an institution that flew in the face of the more core American values. Dur...

Electric vehicles have become more popular in the last decade, and are often promoted as being both good for the environment and the owner's wallet - but is there evidence to back up these claims? You might be surprised by how much an EV really costs to build, how much consumer prices are distorted by subsidies, and how little they do for the environment. Jeff is joined by Brent Bennet, PhD, a for...

Jeff discusses drug policy in American with researcher and author Karl Zinsmeister. In addition to background on the drug epidemic and policy responses over the years, they focus on recent moves to relax enforcement of anti-drug laws, even to the extent of legalizing a variety of narcotics, such as what Oregon did only a few years ago. Instead of solving the crime and human degradation these progr...

Dr. Jordan Cash discusses this question with Jeff this week, looking into the decisions and actions of three "isolated" presidents - John Tyler, Andrew Johnson, and Gerald Ford. These three presidents were, essentially, lone actors for their time in office, abandoned by party and other political supports - what did they get done, good or bad? Building off Jordan's book (link below) they explore th...

Jeff Sikkenga and Dr. David Krugler discussion D-Day - what is was, what happened on that day, and what Operation Overlord accomplished within the context of World War 2. #dday #overlord #ike #eisenhower #ww2 Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Dr. John Moser meet with Derek Abbey, President & CEO of Project Recover, a non-profit organization that searches for still-missing American service members around the world. Focused traditionally on the Palau islands and lost airmen from World War 2, Project Recover has expanded operations over the last 30 years to include efforts in Vietnam, elsewhere in the Pacific, and even at sites in the...

Jeff is joined by Tevi Troy, author of "Shall We Wake the President?" to discuss the evolution of presidential and federal involvement in emergency situations, natural disasters, and similar crises. Using examples from the early years of the republic through today, they trace the change over time brought by communications technology, changing expectations of the American people, the role of NGOs a...

We receive a drumbeat of apocalyptic warnings about climate change, pollution, and dwindling energy supplies - but how much are these claims, and the policy demands that come with them, based on evidence? Jeff is joined by Steven Hayward, resident scholar at the University of California at Berkeley's School of Intergovernmental Studies to discuss the history of these arguments and the policies tha...

Jeff is joined by John Vecchione, Senior Litigator for the New Civil Liberties Alliance ( nclalegal.org ) to discuss their work before the Supreme Court, arguing on behalf of individuals and groups that claim that federal officials abused their power and pressured social media companies to censor their speech. Similar to the “memory hole” of 1984, social media giants like Facebook, it is alleged,...

Jeff sits down with entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to discuss what motivated him to run, what he learned from the experience, and how he views the opportunities America has given him and his family. #vivek #ramaswamy #president #elect ions #campaign #america Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://l...

On April 25th, 1945, the 15th Air Force launched the last mass bombing raid in the war in Europe, on Hitler's self-declared hometown of Linz, Austria. This strategically-important transportation hub was also the location where Hitler dreamed of creating a shrine to himself and Nazism, in the form of museums, monuments, (stolen) art collections, and eventually his grave. Mike Croissant, author and...

World War 1 had a profound and far-reaching impact on American politics, government, law, international standing and, perhaps even more significant, on American culture and society. Many of the most important movements of the 20th Century - Civil Rights, Women's Suffrage, the growth of government power and size - have their roots in how America and Americans understood the war, took part in it, an...

Jeff moderates a panel with mayors of four small towns in Ohio, discussing their work and the importance of good local government and how we can, with our neighbors, play an essential role in America’s civic life. This episode was recorded live at one of the Ashbrook Center’s recent “Major Issues Lecture Series,” held at Ashland University. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Pro...

Building a winning team - in business, education, sports, or the military - is hard, essential work; sustaining excellence over time is, perhaps, even harder. Kari Pickens, head coach of Ashland University’s Women’s Basketball Team, knows a lot about both, and shares her experiences and insights with Jeff in this episode. Kari’s reflections are also firmly connected to the American tradition of se...

Jeff is joined by Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-4, R) to discuss some of most essential elements of a leader, as well as some of the most pressing challenges facing American today. They discuss government-sponsored threats to the First Amendment,and the challenges presented internationally by Russia and China. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: ht...

With the Senate now having to consider a House bill that would force the sale of TikTok or ban the app in the United States, it's time to get the truth on why this social media platform is not like Facebook or Instagram or others. Jeff is joined by foreign policy expert Michael Sobolik of the American Foreign Policy Council to discuss what TikTok is, how the Chinese Communist Party is able to infl...

John Moser discusses the origins, evolution, and impact of the Harlem Renaissance with historian David Krugler. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Jeff Sikkenga and Dr. Sarah Burns discuss the long, complicated history of how presidential war powers have been understood, implemented, and expanded, and how these changes have impacted American government and America's place in the world. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Jeff discusses the unique history of American civilian-military relations with Miles Smith IV of Hillsdale College in today's episode. Suspicious of standing armies, but cognizant of the need for military power, the Founders were emphatic about civilian supremacy over the military - especially senior officers. From George Washington's handling of the Newburgh Conspiracy to Lincoln's relations with...

Jeff discusses the evolution of the U.S. healthcare system since the late 19th Century with Dr. Lauren Hall of the Rochester Institute of Technology. At issue are the surprising, and disheartening, unintended consequences of changes in technology and policy that have yielded the high-cost, low-efficiency and in some ways even lower-effectiveness "system" Americans face today. Host: Jeff Sikkenga E...

Jeff discusses the history and sad state of U.S. national energy policy with Peter Grossman, Emeritus Professor of Economics. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea