The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

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Christianity's 'Quiet Revival' Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Charles N. Steele, Daniel Gullotta, & Benedict Whalen

Host Scot Bertram talks with Charles N. Steele, director of the Center for Commerce and Freedom and associate professor of economics at Hillsdale College, about the economic fallout of proposed Universal Basic Income (UBI) policies. Daniel Gullotta, assistant professor at The Ohio State University’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society, discusses his recent essay on the growing number of young people committing themselves to Christianity. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, concludes a short series on the life and work of American writer Mark Twain with a discussion of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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The Myth of Artificial Intelligence Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Richard Samuelson & Erik J. Larson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, about his recent essay on James Madison and the importance of republican principles. And Erik J. Larson, author of The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the Way We Do, gives a brief history of the development of artificial intelligence and explains the limitations of this misunderstood technology.

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How Trump Survived and Won America's Heartland Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Salena Zito & Christopher Matsos

Host Scot Bertram talks with Salena Zito, political reporter for the Washington Examiner, about the political ramifications of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump and her new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland. And Christopher Matsos, chairman and associate professor of theatre at Hillsdale College, tells us why theatre should play a role in a liberal arts education and what we can learn by studying theatre through the centuries.

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Independence Day Special: Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Matthew Spalding & Robert R. Riley

We revisit two previously aired interviews for this special Independence Day episode. Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Spalding, vice president of Washington Operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale in D.C., about Thomas Jefferson's influence on the Declaration of Independence. And Robert R. Reilly, director of the Westminster Institute, gives a defense of the intellectual foundations of the American Founding as laid out in his book America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding.

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The Battles That Changed the Course of Western History Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Bradley Watson & Michael Walsh

Host Scot Bertram talks with Bradley Watson, associate professor of government at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale in D.C., about progressive jurisprudence and the growing crisis of constitutionalism. And Michael Walsh, journalist and screenwriter, discusses the nature of warfare and his new book A Rage to Conquer: Twelve Battles That Changed the Course of Western History.

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Clare Morell Helps to Keep Kids Free from Screens Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Clare Morell & Benedict Whalen

Host Scot Bertram talks with Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of EPPC’s Technology and Human Flourishing Project, about the long-term effects of smartphone use on children and her new book The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the life and work of American writer Mark Twain. This week, he discusses The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

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Thirteen Novels Every Conservative Should Read Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Ronald J. Pestritto & Christopher J. Scalia

Host Scot Bertram talks with Ronald J. Pestritto, professor of politics and Charles and Lucia Shipley Chair in the American Constitution at Hillsdale College, about Hillsdale’s new online course, “The Federalist.” And Christopher Scalia, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, gives a defense of fiction and discusses his new book 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read).

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How the Ivy League Miseducates Young Americans Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Adam Kissel & Christina Lamb Chakalova

Host Scot Bertram talks with Adam Kissel, visiting fellow for higher education reform in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, about the decline of American Ivy League colleges and universities and his new co-authored book Slacking: A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation. And Christina Lamb Chakalova, assistant professor of art at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the history and character of American art. This week, she dives into photography and the illustrations of Norman Rockwell.

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How Affirmative Action Hurts Black Americans May 30, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Bradley Birzer & Jason L. Riley

Host Scot Bertram talks with Bradley Birzer, professor of history and Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, about the writings and enduring legacy of Ray Bradbury. And Jason L. Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, discusses the ramifications of affirmative action initiatives in the black community and his new book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed.

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Israel and the Fate of Western Civilization May 23, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Josh Hammer & Mickey L. Mattox

Host Scot Bertram talks with Josh Hammer, host of The Josh Hammer Show and senior editor-at-large at Newsweek, about Israel’s role in the Middle East and his new book Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West. And Mickey Mattox, Flack Family Foundation Chair and professor of theology at Hillsdale College, discusses the life and writings of Augustine of Hippo.

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