We take for granted that America is the world’s preeminent superpower, with hegemony abroad and prosperity at home. But how did we get here? And what does it mean for the US to use its superpower status to be a world leader?

In his new book, “Burdens of Freedom: Cultural Difference and American Power,” and in this 2016 Bradley Lecture, Professor Lawrence Mead argues that the basis of American wealth and power is an individualist culture. Threats to such a culture, Mead contends, are the primary challenges facing America as it tries to navigate its role as a leader on the world stage.

This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in February 2016.

To view a full list of the Bradley Lectures, see the Bradley Lectures page on the AEI website.

What is social capital? And whatever it is, are Americans losing it?

In his 1998 lecture, “Bowling with Tocqueville”, Everett Carl Ladd explained that he did not think so: His data and analysis led him to optimism about the state of participation in civil society, such as churches, recreational leagues, and even local politics. But more than twenty years have passed, and trends in religion, culture, economics, and technology seem to be driving Americans towards social alienation. AEI visiting fellow Timothy Carney joins us to provide the postscript to Ladd’s lecture, discussing how drastically civil society has changed and what he observed while researching his new book, “Alienated America.”

This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in September 1998.

To view a full list of the Bradley Lectures, see the Bradley Lectures page on the AEI website.

It finally happened: On Friday, February 15, President Trump announced an emergency at the southern border, allowing him to divert funds from other projects to enhance border security. How will this affect the military? What will this look like in practice? What type of precedent does this set? Rick Berger joined Banter to answer all these questions and more.

Rick Berger is a research fellow at AEI, where he works on the defense budget, the National Defense Authorization Act, military appropriations and acquisition reform, as well as on other national security budget-related issues. Before, he was a professional staff member for the Majority Staff at the US Senate Budget Committee, where he worked on defense, foreign affairs, and veteran issues.

You can subscribe to Banter on iTunes, Stitcher, or the podcast player of your choice, and archived episodes can be found at www.aei.org/feature/banter.

Learn More:

Trump’s national emergency is a misuse of military funds

Support the troops — don’t declare an emergency

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, released for President’s Day 2019, Walter Berns discusses the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The ideas contained in this lecture were the fruits of life-long study and reflection, and Professor Berns offers us additional reasons for sharing his regard for Lincoln, a man supreme in both word and deed.

As we learn from Walter Berns, Abraham Lincoln may be said to be the poet or maker of the Americans, both by teaching us what to think about our place and posture in the world and the meaning of our humanity, but also by his own heroic example of what it takes to defend, preserve, and live up to the highest principles of our common life.

This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in February of 2009.

To view a full list of the Bradley Lectures, see the Bradley Lectures page on the AEI website.

Related:

A video tribute to Walter Berns 

This week on Banter, AEI Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies Robert Doar joined the show to discuss his career, poverty alleviation, and the role of think tanks in the United States. Robert was recently selected by the AEI Board of Trustees to serve as AEI’s twelfth president beginning in July 2019. During his tenure at AEI, Robert served as co-chair of the National Commission on Hunger and was a lead member of the AEI-Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity. He also contributed to “Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security: A Consensus Plan for Reducing Poverty and Restoring the American Dream,” “This Way Up: New Thinking About Poverty and Economic Mobility,” and “Work, Skills, Community: Restoring Opportunity for the Working Class” and served as editor of “A Safety Net That Works: Improving Federal Programs for Low-Income Americans.”

Learn More:

Robert Doar selected to be president of AEI

Will Made in China 2025 succeed in making China the world’s leading producer of high value technology? Is China really a threat to the world’s industrialized economies? On this episode, George Magnus discusses four “red flags” that may complicate China’s plans for growth­.

George Magnus is an associate at the China Centre at the Oxford University, a research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and a former chief economist for UBS. His latest book is “Red Flags: Why Xi’s China is in Jeopardy.” You can download the episode by clicking the link above, and don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Tell your friends, leave a review.

This week on Banter, AEI resident scholar Michael Rubin joined the show to discuss the revolution’s legacy and what it means for Iran, the Middle East, and the United States today. We also discuss the legacy of the Shah, the lessons other Middle East nations drew from his fall, and whether we can expect the regime to exist for a 50th, 60th, or 70th anniversary of the revolution. A teaser of his answer: “There is a tremendous appetite for a regime change in Iran. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be pro-American.”

Michael Rubin is the author of numerous books, including “Dancing with the Devil: The Perils of Engaging Rogue Regimes,” and “Eternal Iran: Continuity and Chaos.” He holds a PhD in history from Yale, and lived in post-Revolution Iran. He has extensive experience advising US policy toward the Middle East and is a frequent commentator on Middle East politics. You can subscribe to Banter on iTunes, Stitcher, or the podcast player of your choice, and archived episodes can be found at www.aei.org/feature/banter.

Learn More:

Yes, pressure works on Iran

What will Iran’s looming civil war look like?

Planning for military strikes on Iran is actually the responsible thing to do

This week on Banter, AEI visiting fellow Roger Noriega joined the show to discuss the past, present, and future of Venezuela. We cover Venezuela’s history since Hugo Chavez first took power, the ongoing power struggle between Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, and what all this means for US policy moving forward.

Learn More:

Venezuela: Guaidó vs Maduro | In 60 Seconds

Finally, US policy is getting it right on Venezuela

Have we entered a new Gilded Age? Are Facebook, Google, and Apple today’s Standard Oil, Northern Securities Company, and US Steel? On this episode, professor Tim Wu discusses the history and legacy of antitrust law in America, as well as whether it’s time to break up big-tech.

Tim Wu is a professor at Columbia Law School where he focuses on antitrust, copyright, and communications law. His latest book is “The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age.” You can download the episode by clicking the link above, and don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Tell your friends, leave a review.

Is Sen. Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ proposal really Medicare for all? And what are the real costs associated with single-payer health care? On this episode, AEI’s Benedic Ippolito discusses the oft ignored implications of the health care plans popular among 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls.

Benedic Ippolito is a research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute where he focuses on health economics. You can download the episode by clicking the link above, and don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Tell your friends, leave a review.