Foreign Policy Live

BONUS EPISODE: The Global Dispatches podcast—“How Interpol Works, with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock”

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Political polarization and disinformation may seem to be on the rise in the United States, but these tactics are not new. As historian Heather Cox Richardson notes, political candidates in early U.S. history would game elections by saying that their opponent was dead.

Are there reasons to be hopeful about democracy? Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson joins Ravi Agrawal to discuss her new book, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.

Suggested reading:

Heather Cox Richardson: How the U.S. Created Its Own Reality

Heather Cox Richardson: Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

Hélène Landemore: More Power to More People

FP Contributors: 10 Ideas to Fix Democracy

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Samantha Power is a powerful voice in the Biden administration. She not only is the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the country’s primary arm for international aid, but also sits on U.S. President Joe Biden’s National Security Council. How does Power think through which countries need U.S. aid the most, and how do decisions get made? Power joins Ravi Agrawal to discuss how this week’s United Nations General Assembly might move the needle on key initiatives.

Suggested reading:

Gordon Brown: A New Multilateralism

Stefan Theil: The Alliances That Matter Now

Darren Walker: Can the G-20 Be a Champion for the Global South?

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The United Nations today is often criticized for being ineffective, even paralyzed, a far cry from what Winston Churchill once referred to as the “only hope of the world.” Is that true? Can it still serve as an effective tool for solving today’s global challenges?

Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She joins Ravi Agrawal ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this week to discuss the Biden administration's priorities. 

Suggested reading:

Amy Mackinnon, Robbie Gramer, and Avian Muñoz: What to Expect When You’re Expecting the U.N. General Assembly

Mark Malloch-Brown: The United Nations is Convening—and Sputtering

Gordon Brown: A New Multilateralism

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Taiwan has long lived under the shadow of China’s desire to take over its territory. And as China’s economy and military have grown, so too has the threat of a potential invasion. What is Taipei’s strategy for defense and security, and how is it marshaling support from other countries? Ravi Agrawal is joined by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

Suggested reading:

Hal Brands: Deterrence in Taiwan Is Failing

Joseph Wu: Why Taiwan Has a Lock on the World’s Chip Market

Raymond Kuo: ‘Strategic Ambiguity’ Has the U.S. and Taiwan Trapped

Gabriel Scheinmann: 4 Ways U.S. Support for Ukraine Helps Defend Taiwan

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People often describe the United Nations as paralyzed. If that’s the case, where do countries turn to if they want to advance global issues that require cooperation? Is it the G-20? The G-7? Smaller groups? Foreign Policy’s Fall 2023 print issue, “The Alliances That Matter Now,” explores the state of global policymaking. Princeton University’s G. John Ikenberry joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss his essay on the G-7 and its role in the new world order.

Suggested reading:

G. John Ikenberry: The G-7 Becomes a Power Player

Michael Kugelman: Will India’s G-20 Summit Succeed?

James Palmer: Xi Jinping Will Be a G-20 No-Show

Michael J. Green: Never Say Never to an Asian NATO

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BONUS EPISODE: The Irregular Warfare podcast—“Deterrence through Asymmetry: Preparing for Conflict in the Taiwan Strait.”

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Democracies are in decline around the world. What can be done to strengthen democratic institutions? At the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, host Ravi Agrawal sat down with Nobel laureate Maria Ressa; Freedom House President Mike Abramowitz; and Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Suggested reading and listening:

Hélène Landemore: More Power to More People

Shadi Hamid: Lessons for the Next Arab Spring

Michael Hirsh: Trump’s Trials Are America’s Stress Test

Disinformation, Intimidation, and Other Threats to Press Freedom

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As a special summer edition of Foreign Policy Live, Ravi Agrawal shares the mic with his colleague Amelia Lester and answers audience questions on China’s economic slowdown, the state of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, and more.

This episode was recorded before the Wagner group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Russia.

And while you're here, listeners, we're offering a rare 50 percent discount on a subscription to Foreign Policy for a short time. Go to foreignpolicy.com/subscribe and enter promo code FPLIVE. If you sign up for the annual subscription, you’ll get 50 percent off the entire year. Our usual discounts are much much smaller, so if you've been thinking about subscribing, now is the time.

Suggested reading:

Howard W. French: Niger’s Coup Is a Turning Point for Africans

FP Live Debate: Has China Peaked?

Paul Scharre: AI’s Gatekeepers Aren’t Prepared for What’s Coming

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Home to just over 3 million people, the Indian state of Manipur is the site of intense conflict between its two largest ethnic groups. The violence, which broke out in May, has largely gone uncovered in the West. Why is it happening? What can be done to stop it? And how will it impact the broader region? Journalist Barkha Dutt and defense analyst Sushant Singh join Ravi Agrawal to discuss.

Suggested reading:

Sushant Singh: Manipur Crisis Tests Modi’s India

Michael Kugelman: India Steps Up Diplomacy With Myanmar

Sushant Singh: Modi Can’t Look Away From Manipur

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