*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

It's no secret that American politics has been filled with rage in recent years. On cable news, on social media feeds, at demonstrations, riots and insurrections, a seemingly limitless supply of anger has been spilling into view. But what are the consequences of this rage for the health of American democracy? My guest today, Steven Webster from Indiana University, has recently published a book on just that topic. In this episode we talked through how anger reduces faith in government, causes people to abandon their commitment to democracy, and increases their partisan loyalty. I'll be honest - it's not an optimistic conversation. But it is one that will really deepen your understanding of the current political moment.

Follow me on Twitter @andygawt for more.

Steven's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Rage-Anger-Shapes-Politics/dp/1108811922

His other academic work: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vUgcCIAAAAAJ&hl=en

Popular article about his work: https://theconversation.com/angry-americans-how-political-rage-helps-campaigns-but-hurts-democracy-145819

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

The Taliban are back in Kabul. The U.S.-backed Afghan government and military have collapsed much faster than almost anyone predicted. What does this mean for U.S. politics and foreign policy? And was there another way? Host Andy Gawthorpe breaks down the issues and looks at the long-term issues raised by the weekend's events.

Follow Andy on Twitter for more.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

America Explained is taking a short summer break over August, so we're going to be bringing you two of my favorite episodes from the archive. We'll be back with lots of great new material in September - until then, enjoy this great interview about American exceptionalism with Hilde Restad.

Americans have always liked to believe that their country is special - or, as the phrase goes, exceptional. And as a consequence of believing that their country is exceptional, many Americans have also believed that it has a uniquely uplifting and moral role to play in international affairs.

But in Donald Trump, America has had a president who explicitly rejected the idea of his country's exceptionality for the first time, calling into question America's role in the world and the strength of its democracy at home. In order to find out more about the significance of Trump's rejection of this idea, I interviewed Dr. Hilde Restad from Bjørknes College in Norway. Hilde is a leading expert on American exceptionalism, and we had a great conversation not just about Trump but also the broader history of the concept, how other recent presidents (particularly Obama) had related to it, and whether we can expect a return to business as usual now that Biden is in office.

Hilde's article on Trump and American exceptionalism: https://tnsr.org/2019/12/whither-the-city-upon-a-hill-donald-trump-america-first-and-american-exceptionalism/

Hilde's book: https://www.routledge.com/American-Exceptionalism-An-Idea-that-Made-a-Nation-and-Remade-the-World/Restad/p/book/9781138096769

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

Over the past year, more and more attention has been focused on an issue which has long been submerged in mainstream discussions of American politics - racism and discrimination against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. A wave of scapegoating and hate crimes related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the tragic spa shootings in Atlanta have made it clear how much work there still is to be done to fight this scourge. My guest today, Jeff Le, has been at the forefront of doing that work. A former policymaker who served at the highest levels of California state government as a Deputy Cabinet Secretary and deployed to Afghanistan to serve his country, over the last year Jeff has been speaking out not only about anti-Asian violence but also the structural barriers which face Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in American politics and workplaces. We had a frank and enlightening conversation, and I hope you enjoy it.

Follow Andy on Twitter @andygawt for more.

Links to Jeff's writing

I Though I Knew How to Succeed as an Asian in U.S. Politics. I Was Wrong (Politico)

How California Can Combat Anti-AAPI Attacks (Center for Health Journalism)

Interview with USA Today.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

If you have any questions or comments, you can email the show on [email protected].

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

Last week Trump's business and its Chief Financial Officer were hit by criminal charges related to a tax evasion scheme. But Trump himself hasn't been charged, and there seems little prospect that he will be held accountable for the legion of crimes he seems to have committed both while president and beforehand. What does this mean for his political future? And what does it mean for America when its presidents can commit crimes with impunity?

Follow Andy on Twitter for more.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

The most successful politicians are often the most successful storytellers. Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan - they all excelled at telling spinning narratives with which their supporters could identify. But what if one side of the political battle is much more adept at telling stories than the other? That's the argument of David Ricci, an emeritus professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, who joined me for this episode. In his book Politics Without Stories: The Liberal Predicament, Professor Ricci argued that conservative stories are more effective than liberal stories, giving the left a structural disadvantage in American politics. Tune in to find out why.

Follow Andy on Twitter for more.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

On Sunday, the Democratic Senator from West Virginia dropped a bombshell. Joe Manchin said he will refuse to vote for any legislation to advance or protect voting rights in America unless ten Republican senators back it as well - an impossibly high bar, particularly at a time when Republicans all over the country are pushing to make voting harder and seize control of the democratic process in the states. This episode explores what's at stake, talks about why the progressive campaign to pressure Manchin to change his mind seems doomed to failure, and talks about what comes next.

Follow Andy on Twitter for more.

Usually we release episodes every two weeks. This one comes just a week after our last episode and - unless something big happens - the next, an interview I'm very excited about, will be two weeks from today.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

As violence shook the Middle East over the past few weeks, a debate was raging in the United States over American support for Israel. It has seemed to many observers that the Democratic Party is increasingly turning against Israel. This episode breaks down the party's debate over Israel and argues that less has changed than meets the eye.

Follow Andy on Twitter @andygawt for more.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

It's no secret that American politics has been filled with rage in recent years. On cable news, on social media feeds, at demonstrations, riots and insurrections, a seemingly limitless supply of anger has been spilling into view. But what are the consequences of this rage for the health of American democracy? My guest today, Steven Webster from Indiana University, has recently published a book on just that topic. In this episode we talked through how anger reduces faith in government, causes people to abandon their commitment to democracy, and increases their partisan loyalty. I'll be honest - it's not an optimistic conversation. But it is one that will really deepen your understanding of the current political moment.

Follow me on Twitter @andygawt for more.

Steven's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Rage-Anger-Shapes-Politics/dp/1108811922

His other academic work: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vUgcCIAAAAAJ&hl=en

Popular article about his work: https://theconversation.com/angry-americans-how-political-rage-helps-campaigns-but-hurts-democracy-145819

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

Just a few weeks ago, former Trump administration officials were still claiming that they had brought peace to the Middle East. But the latest round of violence demonstrates that their approach was deeply flawed and only set the conditions for long-term escalation. Meanwhile, the Biden team has clearly been caught flat-footed, having been distracted by other issues and not yet having a clear strategy for the region - or even an ambassador in Israel - in place. This episode explores the recent background of American policy in the region under Trump and the challenges it has created for Biden today.

Want more? Follow Andy on Twitter.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

If you have any questions or comments, you can email the show on [email protected].