Keeping It Civil

In this episode, Michael Mazarr, senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation and adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies, examines the sources of American national dynamism. A former associate dean at the U.S. National War College and president of the Stimson Center, Mazarr has written extensively on information technology, foreign policy, and national competitiveness. The conversation explores whether the United States can overcome disinformation and polarization to meet China’s great power challenge in the 21st century.

In this episode, Mary Elise Sarotte, the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies and research associate at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies, discusses America’s role in shaping the post–Cold War world. Drawing on her book Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post–Cold War Stalemate, she examines the legacy of NATO expansion, Western relations with Russia, and what the Russia-Ukraine war reveals about a new global order.

In this episode, Patrick Griffin, professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, examines the unique place of America in the revolutionary Atlantic world. His research focuses on the intersection of colonial American and early modern Irish and British history, exploring themes of revolution, migration, and colonization. The conversation centers on his 2023 book The Age of Atlantic Revolution: The Fall and Rise of a Connected World, which considers why America was an exception, not only in becoming a nation-state, but also a democracy, amid the turbulence of the 18th- and 19th-century Atlantic world.

In this episode, Aurelian Craiutu, professor of political science at Indiana University, explores the role of moderation in contemporary politics. His research focuses on French political and social thought and comparative political theory, and he has written and edited more than a dozen books. His work has appeared in leading academic journals including American Political Science Review, Perspectives on Politics, and Political Theory. The conversation centers on his 2023 book Why Not Moderation?: Letters to Young Radicals, which makes the case that moderation is not a passive stance but a powerful and, at times, radical force in turbulent political moments.

In this episode, Brooke Barbier, a public historian with a PhD from Boston College, shares her expertise on Boston’s political and social life during the Revolutionary period. She is the founder of Ye Olde Tavern Tours, which offers tours of Boston’s historic sites and taverns. The conversation focuses on her 2024 book King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father and how political moderation played a key role in the American Revolution. Recorded the morning after the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the discussion explores how moderation in the past can help us better understand politics today.

In this episode, Henry Thomson speaks with Gerard Baker, a prominent British columnist at the Wall Street Journal and host of its podcast i. Baker’s distinguished career has included work with the BBC, The Financial Times, and The Times, as well as five years as Editor-in-Chief of the Wall Street Journal. He is also the author of American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence, which examines the erosion of Americans' trust in their political, business and cultural leaders, and offers solutions for a better future. Together, Henry and Gerard examine why American journalism has lost credibility, how the media approached the 2024 presidential election, and what changes could restore confidence and ease today’s deep political polarization.

In this episode, Henry Thompson and Dr. Jennifer Frey, Dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa, discuss the challenges and opportunities facing liberal education. She addresses the prevailing utilitarian mindset in universities, where education is often reduced to job training rather than a pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty. Dr. Frey argues that this trend undermines the traditional notion of higher education as a pathway to intellectual freedom and flourishing. Drawing on her experiences at the University of Tulsa, Dr. Frey shares insights into the university's journey toward revitalizing liberal learning. Under her leadership, the Honors College at Tulsa has embarked on a curriculum reform focused on interdisciplinary learning, virtue formation, and deep engagement with foundational texts.

Featuring Lucas Morel, professor of politics at Washington and Lee University. Morel delves into the complex relationship between patriotism and the experiences of Black Americans, as exemplified by the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass. Despite facing profound injustices and obstacles, both leaders ultimately embraced America and its potential for progress. MLK's vision of the Beloved Community, rooted in the American Dream, challenged the nation to confront systemic inequalities and enact radical changes. We explore MLK's proposed solutions, including a "Bill of Rights for the Disadvantaged," and his critiques of capitalism's role in perpetuating poverty. Additionally, we examine Frederick Douglass's journey from an enslaved person to an outspoken advocate for American principles, highlighting his belief in the transformative power of living up to the nation's founding ideals. Through their insights, we ponder the ongoing quest for a more inclusive and just society, grappling with questions of individual responsibility versus governmental intervention in realizing the promise of America.

In this episode, we speak with Hans Zeiger, the President of the Jack Miller Center, the nationwide network of scholars and teachers. We delve into the intricate interplay of ideas, economics, and donor influence within the realm of higher education; Zeiger provides a unique perspective on challenges facing universities, from the economic pressures exacerbated by the recession to the ideological shifts on campuses and the donor revolt.

Robert P. George serves as the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. Henry and George discuss respecting free speech rights on campus (and beyond) for all perspectives, distinguishing genuine free speech from incitement to violence. George advocates for institutional neutrality in universities, discouraging them from taking positions on moral and political issues. The two also speak about free speech challenges, including ideological conformism, social media pressures, and the fear of backlash. George suggests that examples of bold individuals who question orthodoxies can inspire courage and diversity of viewpoints.

Professor of History at the Naval Postgraduate School and Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, University of California, Berkeley Zach Shore examines the United States' critical ethical decisions during and after the World War II. Key issues include the internment of Japanese Americans, nuclear attacks on civilians, and punitive policies towards Germans under U.S. occupation. Despite the majority of Americans often favoring mercy, a minority pushed harsh policies, revealing discrepancies between public opinion and government influence.

In this episode Henry speaks with Dr. James R. Stoner, Professor and Director of the Eric Voegelin Institute in the Department of Political Science at Louisiana State University. Henry and Stoner dive into the intricate threads of constitutional history with a focus on the symbiotic relationship between British and American constitutional traditions. This episode unravels the historical, institutional, and philosophical aspects that shape the governance, representation, and legislative processes in these distinct democratic systems.

Henry Thompson interviews John Rose, the Associate Director of the Civil Discourse Project at The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Henry and Rose discuss a course Rose teaches called How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization. Rose talks about intellectual virtues to model, why the most politically intolerant people are humorless and whether campus culture of the elite institutions is too homogenous for certain contentious topics.

Welcome to Season 5 of Keeping it Civil. We’re thrilled to have you back and promise memorable, informative, thought-provoking conversations. In this episode our host Henry Thompson sits down with a Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute Matthew Continetti. Besides discussing his most recent book, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, Continetti speaks about the Republican Party beyond Donald Trump and modern conservatism in the United States, its roots and its future.

Shep Melnick is the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Professor of American Politics at Boston College and Co-chair of the Harvard Program on Constitutional Government. Henry and Shep Melnick speak about the current crisis in America's higher education, Melnick's research on Title IX, the regulation of gender equality in higher education and Melnick's latest book.

Jenna Storey is a senior Fellow in the Social, Cultural and Constitutional Studies Department at the American Enterprise Institute. Henry and Jenna Storey speak about the crisis of modern liberal arts education, the restlessness of young college students and her plans for improving and reforming higher ed.

Franciska Coleman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. In this episode we speak about assumptions encoded in words people choose to use and why many nations around the world signed a "covenant" that addresses hate speech yet the United States never did. Coleman also discusses, among other things, the social regulation of speech as an example of cancel culture or accountability culture and what these terms imply when used in reference to speech regulation.

Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a New York Times bestselling author. In this episode Henry and Mac Donald discuss identity politics and why universities are not teaching students, among other things, how to think about ideas "in the abstract" in pursuit of evaluating neutral principles of free speech and government. They also talk about what Mac Donald thinks the role of university in society should be.

Winston Marshall has had a long and successful career as a musician, most notably as a founding member of the popular folk rock band Mumford and Sons. He later made headlines by leaving the band due to his controversial political views. As Marshall embarked on a solo career, we take a look at the events that led to his departure and explore the motivations behind his positions.

Bion Bartning is an entrepreneur and investor. He is also the founder of FAIR, the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism. Bartning talks to Henry about what prompted him to start the Foundation and FAIR’s alternative diversity training and other mechanisms put in place as a response to racism and other ideologies.