Economist Podcasts

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Latest Episodes:

1. Game of chance Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump.

His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville, author of arguably the best book ever written about America.

When Tocqueville arrived in New York in 1831, it was a small, low-slung city where pigs roamed the streets. But he was able to see past that—to a vision of the future.

Arriving in Manhattan today, John finds cause for concern, even among the island’s wealthiest residents.

Guests and Hosts

John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
Babara Tober, Philanthropist and former Editor of Brides magazine
John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Group

Topics

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
‘Equality of conditions’ at 250
The election of Zohran Mamdani
Declining faith in American democracy

Let us know what you think. Email podcasts@economist.com

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If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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Kicking and screaming: protests at World Cup Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international spectacle to draw attention to their causes. Commercial enterprises are on the cusp of making money in space: who will tax the heavens? And Narendra Modi is unsettling India’s middle class.

Guests and host:

Hal Hodson, Americas editor
Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
Leo Mirani, Ashoka columnist
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:

World Cup, Mexico, protests
Space, taxation, global commons
India, Modi

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

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Trailer: Tocqueville Road Trip Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Nearly two centuries ago, a French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville went on a trip around America and wrote up his findings in a book called Democracy in America. Many people still think it’s the most insightful thing ever written about the country. John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, is one of them.

Tocqueville found Americans' faith in freedom and self-improvement exhilariting—he was the first foreigner to foresee how this new society would change the world. On America’s 250th birthday, John Prideaux sets out on a road trip of his own, following Tocqueville's footsteps from New York to Michigan to Washington, to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville endures in Trump’s America.

Out now

Find the show on The Economist app | On Spotify | On other apps

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330

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Number crunch: why Britons ignore immigrant drop Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent embeds on a US nuclear submarine to find out how China and Russia are vying for dominance in the Pacific. And what anti-ageing products actually work?

Guests and host:

Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor
Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
Ainslie Johnstone, science correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:

Immigration, Britain, asylum
Submarines, Pacific, geopolitics
Ageing, wrinkles, retinoids, peptides

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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There Xi goes: visiting North Korea Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the trip? Our correspondent visits Goma in Congo to see what life is like under Rwanda-backed rebel group M23. And why curry may soon be off the menu in Japan.

Guests and host:

Jeremy Page, chief China correspondent
John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent
Moeka Iida, Japan correspondent
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Russia, nuclear proliferation
Congo, Goma, M23, Rwanda
Japan, India, immigration, curry

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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Ceasefire alarm: Iran and Israel trade strikes Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China’s BYD cars are losing ground to other electric vehicles. And why hit TV shows inspire “companion podcasts”.

Guests and host:

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
Don Weinland, China business editor
Elizabeth Peet, researcher
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:

Iran, Israel, Lebanon, ceasefire, Trump
BYD, EVs, Tesla, Xpeng, Li Auto
Podcasts, Beef, The Pitt, HBO

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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Pregnant pause: India’s slumping fertility Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

After decades of overpopulation worries, the country now has the opposite concern. We examine India’s unusual demographic turn, and why it is a wider warning to the world. Vegan substitutes have broadly improved in recent years—so why is there no good vegan cheese? And remembering Sonny Rollins, an absolute colossus of the saxophone.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief
Sam Colbert, senior series producer, Economist Podcasts
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

India, fertility rates, global population
vegan cheese
Sonny Rollins, jazz

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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A murder exploited: Britain’s George Floyd moment that wasn’t Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Nigel Farage, leader of the populist-right Reform UK party, wants Britons to be enraged by a killing in the street. We ask why his tone has changed from “colour-blind” to race-baiting. NATO must now take seriously the idea that America is pulling back; we ask how it is adjusting. And why skipping title sequences is forgoing some of television’s magic.

Guests and host:

Hugo Gye, British political correspondent
Jonathan Rosenthal, international correspondent
Andrew Miller, “Back Story” columnist
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

British politics, race relations
NATO, American foreign policy
television, media

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Focused group: Ukraine is now Europe’s war Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

Now that America has stepped back, Europe is at last stepping up. We examine the bloc’s tactics (if not yet a strategy) and how steady its support is likely to be. With the coming public listings of SpaceX and Anthropic, we ask whether stockmarkets can handle a string of “giga-IPOs”. And our World Cup series looks at Iran’s side.

Guests and host:

Tom Nuttall, chief Germany correspondent
Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Europe, security, Ukraine war
IPOs, investment, stockmarkets, SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI
World Cup, Iran

Visit education.economist.com and use code 5YEARS to save 15% on courses developed by our editors and correspondents.

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Head out of the cloud: Nvidia’s personal-computer shift Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

The AI world’s go-to chipmaker is blazing a trail toward your personal computer. We ask what moving out of the cloud indicates about the future of computing. The three candidates for mayor of Los Angeles could not be more different, and they are running neck and neck. And updating generic filler text for the business-jargon era.

Guests and host:

Shailesh Chitnis, global business writer
Aryn Braun, West Coast correspondent
Andrew Palmer, executive editor and “Bartleby” columnist
Jason Palmer (no relation), co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Nvidia, AI, technology
Los Angeles, American politics
corporate jargon

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