Five things we did this week; small signs of pushback against Elon Musk; foreign policy implications of DOGE; security risks from merging government computer systems; efficiency vs. other priorities in government; what’s in a place name; the fleeting nature of place names in a digital world; maps as arbiters of truth; Mapquest does not care; and Marcus’ rose is off the bud

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

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Further Reading:
Mapquest’s “Gulf of Something” website

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A bad week for Ukraine and transatlantic relations; Trump’s mini-feud with Zelensky; a bargaining approach to the question of whether Zelensky could have avoided war; the return of spheres of influence; reassuring words from Vladimir Putin; Europe’s appetite for securing a post-conflict Ukraine; and Marcus embraces rationalism

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

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Further Reading:
James D. Fearon. 1995. “Rationalist Explanations for War.” International Organization 49(3): 379–414.

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The Trump administration’s early moves and their implications for US foreign policy; hollowing out expertise in the civil service; the loss of USAID; Trump’s designs on the Gaza Strip; tough signals to Ukraine on upcoming negotiations; and Marcus is already working on the op-ed

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

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Pandas are back in our nation’s capital; DeepSeek challenges the AI status quo; TikTok remains in legal limbo; how TikTok is like Bed Bath & Beyond; and Marcus is always up for a little China talk

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

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Further Watching/Reading/Listening:
Giant Panda Cam from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Giant Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao Play in the Snow

Ethan Mollick. 2025. “Which AI to Use Now: An Opinionated Guide.” One Useful Thing.

Cheap Talk Podcast with Jaime Settle. 2024. “Mostly Golden Retriever Videos.”

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

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New products (and discounts!) in the Cheap Talk online store at cheaptalk.shop; heterarchy in international relations; rebel advances in Syria; continuing popular protests in Georgia; the German Chancellor visits Ukraine; and Marcus hates hand-washing coffee mugs

The Cheap Talk store has been restocked with new t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers, perfect for the IR enthusiast in your life. All new designs are on sale for a limited time. Order before 12/16 with expedited shipping to receive your items by Christmas.

Cheap Talk is taking a holiday break, but will be back with new episodes in January. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please send us your questions or comments!

Further Reading/Listening:
Check out the research of Kyuri Park at kyuripark.com

Dan Maliniak on Cheap Talk

Cheap Talk records live from Williamsburg, Virginia with the students of William & Mary’s Government 204 course, Introduction to International Politics, answering questions about Ukraine, face-to-face diplomacy, the international relations paradigms, North Korea, and more; and Marcus had a good time

(Our apologies for some audio issues this week—we hope you enjoy the podcast anyway. We will be back with our usual crystal clear audio next time.)

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

Please send us your questions or comments!

Moritz Graefrath joins Cheap Talk to discuss the new international relations board game World Order; the role of IR theory in the design of the game; how board games can teach us about the world; the state of board games today; some recommendations for getting started in gaming; and Marcus doesn’t play board games

Moritz Graefrath is a Security and Foreign Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute. He is an academic advisor for the new board game World Order, available for backing on Kickstarter until December 5.

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

Please send us your questions or comments!

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What to expect from the new Trump administration’s foreign policy; uncertainty about Trump’s foreign policy views; new risks for Ukraine; fewer limits on Israeli action in the Middle East; tariffs and trade barriers with China; poor prospects for cooperative efforts on climate change; hope for a new deal with North Korea but worries about South Korean security; the important role of foreign policy professionals in government; and Marcus will allow an opening statement if he gets a rebuttal

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

Please send us your questions or comments!

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Dan Maliniak joins Cheap Talk to discuss the recent elections in the country of Georgia; evidence of irregularities; how much of this is Russia’s fault; European identity in Georgia; the path forward from here; the little-known fact that wine started in Georgia; what the US can do; and Marcus is a big Dave Matthews Band guy

Dan Maliniak is an associate professor of government at W&M. Check out his research on Google Scholar.

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.

Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.

Please send us your questions or comments!

Further Reading/Watching:
Jesse Driscoll and F. Daniel Hidalgo. 2014. “Intended and unintended consequences of democracy promotion assistance to Georgia after the Rose Revolution.” Research & Politics 1(1).

Dave Matthews Band. 2024. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.