The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

TOPICS: LAND OF HOPE for young readers, a guide to pandemics, and the intersection of faith and science Host Scot Bertram talks with Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, about the new, two-part Young Readers' Edition of LAND OF HOPE. Steven Mosher, an internationally recognized authority on China, joins us to preview his new...

TOPICS: Benjamin Franklin as statesman, Kurt Schlichter's new book, & Willa Cather's frontier themes Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Slack, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale College, to conclude a three-part series on Benjamin Franklin, focusing this time on Franklin as statesman. Kurt Schlichter of Townhall joins us to discuss his new book WE'LL BE BACK: THE FALL AND RISE OF AMERICA...

TOPICS: Examining the Kennedy ruling from SCOTUS, THE RISE OF THE NEW PURITANS, the founding of Rome, & excerpts from Hillsdale's 2022 commencement address Host Scot Bertram talks with Adam Carrington, Associate Professor of Politics and William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the U.S. Constitution, to analyze the Kennedy opinion recently handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Noah Rothman, Associat...

TOPICS: Student loan debt forgiveness plans, abortion's many harms & more on the life of the Renaissance scholar Erasmus Host Scot Bertram talks with Gary Wolfram, William Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale College, about recent proposals to eliminate some or all current student loan debt. Alexandra DeSanctis, a staff writer for National Review and a visiting fellow at the...

TOPICS: An analysis of the Dobbs opinion and Clarence Thomas in his own words In this special Supreme Court-themed episode of the program, host Scot Bertram talks with Adam Carrington, Associate Professor of Politics and William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the U.S. Constitution, to analyze the Dobbs opinion on abortion recently handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Then Michael Pack joins the s...

TOPICS: Election integrity in the U.S., elements of film noir, and the wisdom of John Senior Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College and Editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about her recent book RIGGED, soon out in paperback. Eddie Muller, host of "Noir Alley" on Turner Classic Movies, tells us about the elements of film noir. And David Whalen, A...

TOPICS: The science of beer, a doctor shortage in the U.S., the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, and challenges to American liberty Host Scot Bertram talks with Christopher Hamilton, Professor of Chemistry and noted homebrewer, about the science behind beer. Sally Pipes, president, CEO, and the Thomas W. Smith fellow in healthcare policy at the Pacific Research Institute, discusses the doctor shortage in...

TOPICS: The Mont Pelerin Society, the fight against court packing, and an introduction to Willa Cather Host Scot Bertram talks with Charles Steele, Chairman of Economics, Business, and Accounting, and Associate Professor of Economics at Hillsdale College, about the first meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society, where he says the fight against big government started. U.S. Sen. Mike Lee discusses his ne...

TOPICS: Electric vehicles and the electrical grid, THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA, the decline of Realism, & a Hillsdale alumnus working in journalism. Host Scot Bertram talks with Robert Norton, Vice President and General Counsel of Hillsdale College and a former top-level legal executive of automakers, about the effect a mass adoption of electric vehicles could have on the grid and shortcomings of E...

TOPICS: A tour of Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, great statesmen as thinkers, & a new Hillsdale online course on C. S. Lewis Host Scot Bertram talks with Tom Conner, Professor Emeritus of History at Hillsdale and author of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE: THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENT COMMISSION, who gives us a tour of Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in France. Daniel J. Mahoney joins t...

TOPICS: Hillsdale's new Graduate School of Classical Education, why inflation is no accident, and the connections between the LITTLE HOUSE series and American identity. Host Scot Bertram talks with Dan Coupland, dean of Hillsdale's new Graduate School of Classical Education, about the launch and goals of the program. Christopher Caldwell, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and columnist at C...

TOPICS: "Cancel culture" on a college campus, themes in film noir, the rise and fall of Greek democracy, & civics taught in K-12 schools Host Scot Bertram talks with David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., about his recent lecture at Saint Vincent College and the reaction from students and school off...

TOPICS: Benjamin Franklin as moral lawgiver, what is inflation and why it's bad, and the life and work of William Butler Yeats With the recent release of a PBS documentary on Benjamin Franklin, host Scot Bertram continues his discussion with Kevin Slack, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale, about Franklin as moral lawgiver. Nathan Lewis, co-author with Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames of t...

TOPICS: Why a proper approach to history is important, why China is winning the war for high tech, and why raising virtuous men is vital for the country Host Scot Bertram talks with Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, about his recent Bradley Prize, his approach to history, and why the subject is so important. Arthur Herman,...

TOPICS: American classical education, themes in C. S. Lewis's fiction, and a deeper look at Andrew Jackson Host Scot Bertram talks with Kathleen O'Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, about what makes for truly *American* classical education. Jason Lepojärvi, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Thorneloe University, stops by to discuss themes found in C. S. Lew...

TOPICS: History of the filibuster, the relentless growth of government, Tolstoy's great works, and a Hillsdale grad in the White House press corps Host Scot Bertram talks with Paul Moreno, William and Berniece Grewcock Chair in Constitutional History and Professor of History at Hillsdale, about the history of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. Stephen Moore, Senior Economist at FreedomWorks and fo...

TOPICS: Benjamin Franklin as Enlightenment philosopher, Critical Race Theory & our schools, and the problem of evil and suffering With PBS debuting a new documentary on Benjamin Franklin, host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Slack, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale, about Franklin as Enlightenment philosopher. Christopher Rufo, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins the show to d...

TOPICS: Revolutions in 1968, THE UNITED STATES IN CRISIS, a great moment in THE ODYSSEY, and woke capitalism vs. profit. Host Scot Bertram talks with Darryl Hart, Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College, about events from the year 1968, a year of global revolution. Edward Erler joins the show to discuss his new book THE UNITED STATES IN CRISIS: CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION, A...

TOPICS: Fixing the teacher shortage crisis, a defense of Warren Harding, themes in the "Little House" series, and a creative arts alum from Hillsdale Host Scot Bertram talks with Dan Coupland, Dean of the Graduate School of Classical Education at Hillsdale College, about his recent essay with suggestions on how to fix the teacher shortage crisis. Historian Ryan S. Walters provides a defense of War...

TOPICS: A new online course on the Roman Republic, why American public education is failing, & what should be taught in journalism schools Host Scot Bertram talks with Ken Calvert, Professor of Ancient History at Hillsdale College, one of your teachers in the Colleges new online course, "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic". Luke Rosiak of The Daily Wire takes us inside his new book RACE TO TH...

TOPICS: Why Hispanics are dropping the left, the life of M. Stanton Evans, and the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh Host Scot Bertram talks with Victor Davis Hanson, the Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College, about his recent essay "Why Would Hispanics Drop the Left?" Steven Hayward tells us about the life of M. Stanton Evans, one of the unsung heroes and key figur...

TOPICS: Independent Redistricting Committees, the love of learning, and a Hillsdale student published in a science journal Host Scot Bertram talks with Stephen Markman, a retired Michigan Supreme Court justice and Professor of Constitutional Law at Hillsdale College, about the promises and results of redistricting commissions in various states. Margarita Mooney Suarez, founder and Executive Direct...

TOPICS: The preamble to the Constitution, examining the Millennial generation, and taking literature personally Host Scot Bertram talks with David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College ’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, about how the Constitution’s preamble explains America’s mission statement. Mark Bauerlein, senior editor at First Things, drops by to disc...

TOPICS: CNN, Joe Rogan, & redistricting, the "Bully of Asia," and an introduction to Neil Postman Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College, Editor-In-Chief at The Federalist, and Fox News Contributor, about CNN's latest troubles, the targeting of Joe Rogan, and the politics of redistricting. Steven Mosher discusses his book BULLY OF ASIA, now ava...

TOPICS: Patriotism as a virtue, Tolkien and the Christian Imagination, Gustav Flobert, & Mike Pmpeo at Hillsdale Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Mehan, Director of Academic Programs for Washington D.C. and Assistant Professor of Government for the Van Andel Graduate School of Government, about the concept of patriotism as a virtue. Holly Ordway, Cardinal Francis George Fellow of Faith and Cul...