The American Mind Podcast

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Christopher Caldwell: On Populism in Europe and Multiculturalism in America Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

In a feature for the Spring 2019 issue of the Claremont Review of Books, Christopher Caldwell reported on Viktor Orbán's leadership of Hungary and the future of Europe. Caldwell joins the American Mind podcast to talk about Orbán's Hungary and the course he has charted on matters of immigration, culture and economics in contrast with some of his peers. Caldwell also addresses the ongoing battle between illiberal democracy and undemocratic liberalism as caricatured by Italy's Matteo Salvini and France's Emmanuel Macron, and elucidates the ties between European populism and American populism. During the conversation, Caldwell and host Ryan Williams also touch on the multiculturalist challenge to America.

Christopher Caldwell was a senior editor at The Weekly Standard and author of Reflections on the Revolution In Europe: Immigration, Islam and the West (Anchor, 2010).

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Recommended Reading: "Hungary and the Future of Europe"

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And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

What is Nationalism: A Conversation with Chris DeMuth Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

'Nationalism.' It’s a word getting thrown around a lot these days. Some say it is code for racism and xenophobia. Others contend it is the natural expression of any nation’s people. What does nationalism mean, and how does the concept apply to American politics today? These are the questions at the heart of an essay in the Winter 2019 issue of the Claremont Review of Books titled “Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism.” It’s author is Chris DeMuth, who joins host Ben Judge in this episode of The American Mind Podcast.

In this interview, you’ll hear about DeMuth's move towards appreciating President Trump, as well as a word of warning to conservative organizations dealing with Republican presidents. But at the heart of the conversation is this question: Are Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism synonymous?

Christopher DeMuth is a distinguished Fellow at the Hudson Institute. From 1986 to 2008, he was the President of the American Enterprise Institute. His experience in government spans from working for Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Nixon administration to serving in the Reagan administration as the Administrator for Information and Regulatory Affairs, colloquially known as the “Deregulation Czar.”

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Recommended Reading: "Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism"

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

What’s Wrong with Conservatism: A Conversation with Dr. Charles Kesler Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Why, even after electoral triumphs, have conservatives had such a hard time governing? You think this question only applies to today? Twenty years ago, as part of the American Enterprise Institute’s Bradley lecture series, Dr. Charles Kesler gave an answer to why conservatives felt adrift. That lecture is just as relevant now as it was in 1998, and it forms the basis of this episode of The American Mind Podcast.

In this interview, you’ll hear why Dr. Kesler says American conservatism can only feel grounded when it argues policy based on the principles of equality and justice. But, to get there, we have to work our way through different pieces of conservatism’s intellectual heritage. Only then can we see “what’s wrong with conservatism.”

Dr. Kesler is a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and the editor of the Claremont Review of Books. In 2017 he was named to The Politico 50 for his pioneering work in political philosophy, and in 2018, he won the Bradley Prize for his work on, among other topics, American liberalism and conservatism.

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Recommended Reading: "What's Wrong with Conservatism"

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

What is the Fundamental Problem Politics Must Solve? A Conversation with Mike Anton Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

Since this is the first episode of the American Mind Podcast, we thought we would go back to basics. What is the fundamental problem politics must solve? What does that mean for governments in general? What about for America?

Helping us work through those questions is Mike Anton. He is a Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute and Lecturer at Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center in Washington DC. He has written for Pete Wilson, Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, and most recently he served in Donald Trump‘s National Security Council as Deputy Assistant for Strategic Communications. But many of you know him from an essay he wrote for the Claremont Review of Books titled “The Flight 93 Election.” That essay became the basis for his new book, After the Flight 93 Election: The Vote that Saved America and What We Still Have to Lose. What is his answer to the fundamental problem of politics? And how does that answer lead to his criticism that conservatives are too focused on the accumulation of wealth? Mike Anton explores these questions and many more in the inaugural edition of The American Mind Podcast.

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Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

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