Intersections

By The Brookings Institution

What's Intersections about?

Economic recovery. Elections. Terrorism. Global poverty. Trade. Policy issues are complex and multi-faceted. Want more than the 30-second soundbyte? Tune in to Intersections, a podcast from the Brookings Institution, where two experts delve into the varying angles of the complicated issues facing our nation and the world. Subscribe now and be the first to hear new episodes.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Intersections episodes:

04.17.2019
Financing Africa’s economic growth
In this episode, Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly, senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, and Lemma Senbet, William E. Mayer chair professor of finance at the University of Maryland, explain why national debts in sub-Saharan Africa have...
04.03.2019
The roots of America’s divided politics
In this episode, Brookings Vice President Darrell West and Senior Fellow Camille Busette discuss themes from West's new book, "Divided Politics, Divided Nation: Hyperconflict in the Trump era," including the economic, geographic, racial, and technological factors that have exacerbated U.S....
03.20.2019
Russia’s challenge to the West
In this episode, Angela Stent and Keir Giles, authors of “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest” and “Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West” examine the history of Russia's national identity and how the...
03.06.2019
Preventing violent extremism in fragile states
The Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States recently released its recommendations, calling for a new strategy to prevent violent extremism from developing in fragile states. Brookings Senior Fellow George Ingram and President of the U.S. Institute of Peace Nancy Lindborg...
02.28.2019
Realizing the value of black neighborhoods
In this episode, David M. Rubenstein Fellows Andre Perry and Jenny Schuetz examine past policies and current attitudes that have devalued homes and business in majority-black neighborhoods and the opportunities to be gained by building on the assets in majority-black places....
12.26.2018
Advancing women's leadership around the world
In this episode, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, founder of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership and distinguished fellow with the Center for Universal Education (CUE), and CUE Fellow Christina Kwauk discuss the current state of gender equality in leadership roles, the pipeline from...
12.12.2018
Priorities for climate change action after COP 24
In this episode, Todd Stern, senior fellow and former special envoy for climate change in the Obama administration, and David Victor, co-chair of the Cross-Brookings Initiative on Energy and Climate, discuss the key issues at stake at the COP 24...
11.28.2018
Recommendations for US policy toward Gaza
In between spikes of violence, the people of the Gaza Strip live in a state of perpetual crisis—a man-made humanitarian disaster of severe urban crowding, staggering unemployment, and a dire scarcity of basic services, including electricity, water, and sewage treatment. In...
11.14.2018
The promise of community colleges as pathways to high-quality jobs
Brookings Fellows Martha Ross and Elizabeth Mann Levesque discuss the important role that community colleges play in putting young adults on a pathway to higher-quality jobs and other strategies for improving economic outcomes for youth from lower-income and disadvantaged backgrounds. Full show...
10.24.2018
What’s next for Israel and the Palestinians 25 years after Oslo?
In a conversation with Natan Sachs, fellow and director of the Center on Middle East Policy, Distinguished Fellow Salam Fayyad, former prime minister and finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, and Visiting Fellow Jeffrey Feltman, former U.N. under-secretary-general for political affairs, assistant secretary...
10.10.2018
Why racial inequality and regional economic inequality can’t be separated
In this episode, Bradley Hardy, associate professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University and nonresident senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings, and Frederick Wherry, professor of sociology at Princeton University, explain how some economic policies...
09.26.2018
How India and China are reshaping their neighborhood
In this episode, Dhruva Jaishankar, fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings India, and Rush Doshi, post-doctoral fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, discuss the balance of power across the Indo-Pacific as China's influence grows and India seeks to increase economic...
09.12.2018
Americans stuck on the sidelines
In this episode, Isabel Sawhill, Brookings senior fellow and author of "The Forgotten Americans: An Economic Agenda for a Divided Nation," and Andrew Yarrow, senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and author of "Man Out: Men on The Sidelines...
08.29.2018
Is anyone winning the US-China trade war?
In this episode, Brookings experts David Dollar, senior fellow with the John L. Thornton China Center, and Joseph Parilla, fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, examine what effect the trade war has had on the U.S. and Chinese economies–and workers–so far. They...
08.15.2018
How Africa's historic free trade agreement will change the continent
In this episode, Nonresident Fellow Witney Schneidman and David M. Rubinstein Fellow Landry Signé discuss how Africa's Continental Free Trade Agreement will transform trade across the continent, accelerate industrialization and economic development, and what it means for future commercial relations...
08.01.2018
Trump and the crumbling of the US-led world order
In this episode, Robert Kagan, author of the forthcoming "The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World," and Thomas Wright, author of "All Measure Short of War: The Contest for the 21st Century and the Future of American Power,"...
07.18.2018
What the Supreme Court’s Janus decision means for unions and workers
In this episode of Intersections, Vanessa Williamson and Elizabeth Mann Levesque review the Supreme Court's ruling on Janus v. AFSCME, which bars public-sector unions from collecting "fair share" or "agency" fees from non-union members to offset collective bargaining costs. Levesque and...
06.27.2018
How to make infrastructure work for people
In this episode, Brookings Fellow Adie Tomer, CityLab's Tanvi Misra, and Route Fifty's Mitch Herckis revisit the themes of Infrastructure Week with an examination of historical patterns of urban and suburban planning that separated communities and discuss infrastructure as system...
06.06.2018
The politics of reconstruction in Syria
In this episode, Tamara Cofman Wittes, senior fellow with the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, and Steven Heydemann, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and Janet Wright Ketcham ’53 Chair of Middle East Studies at Smith College, break down...
05.23.2018
How should schools measure student success?
In this episode, Lauren Bauer, post-doctoral fellow in Economic Studies and the Hamilton Project at Brookings, and Anne Wicks, director of education reform at the George W. Bush Institute, explain how states are developing new measures of school quality and student...
05.09.2018
What the U.S. withdrawal means for the future of the Iran deal
On May 8, President Trump announced that the United States will reimpose sanctions on Iran, withdrawing the country from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In this episode of Intersections, Suzanne Maloney, senior fellow and deputy director of Foreign Policy,...
04.25.2018
Transforming public spaces with learning landscapes
When children as young as two and three years old are already facing significant gaps in their exposure to words, numbers, and spatial understanding, urban planners and child psychologists are developing ways to transform community spaces - from bus stops...
04.11.2018
China, the U.S., and Africa's transforming trade environment
Witney Schneidman and Yun Sun examine the shape of U.S. and Chinese trade and investment in Africa, Africa's growing regional economic power, and how both China and the U.S. weigh in on political as well as economic development in African...
03.28.2018
The U.S., China, and India balancing act in the Indo-Pacific
In this episode, Tanvi Madan, fellow and director of the India Project, guest-hosted a conversation between Distinguished Fellow Shivshankar Menon and Nonresident Fellow Joshua White on how China's deepening economic investments across South and Southeast Asia and India's own expanding...
03.14.2018
Raising wages and strengthening economic progress for American workers
In this episode, Jay Shambaugh and Jared Bernstein discuss the decades-long trend of real wage stagnation and policy solutions for increasing productivity, strengthening wage growth, and ensuring that national economic growth is reflected in the living standards of all American...
03.08.2018
The women working to improve girls' education
For International Women’s Day, we’re showcasing the work of the Echidna Global Scholars – leaders from NGOs and academia who work to improve learning opportunities and outcomes for girls in the developing world. In this episode, Dasmine Kennedy, Armene Modi, Maria Cristina Osorio,...
02.28.2018
The changing identity of America's middle class
In this episode, Camille Busette, senior fellow and director of the Race, Prosperity and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings, and Richard Reeves, senior fellow and co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings, discuss the changing racial demographics of...
01.31.2018
America’s “lost Einsteins”: The importance of exposing children to innovation
In this episode, Stanford Professor Raj Chetty explains his new research that examines who becomes an inventor in America and who gets left behind, and discusses with Brookings expert Richard Reeves how innovation isn't a zero-sum game, and how inequality...
01.17.2018
Avoiding nuclear conflict on the Korean peninsula
Bruce Jones, Jung Pak, and Ryan Hass discuss Kim Jong-un's strategic goals and the dynamics of the U.S., China, and South Korea in trying to denuclearize North Korea. Full show notes available here: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/avoiding-nuclear-conflict-on-the-korean-peninsula Intersections is part of the Brookings Podcast...
12.27.2017
An Israeli Knesset member's perspective on activism and politics
For the last Intersections episode of the year, we're releasing a short conversation with Stav Shaffir, the youngest female member of Israel's Knesset, and Brookings Senior Fellow Tamara Wittes, held between sessions at the 2017 Saban Forum. Full show notes:...
12.06.2017
Russia, Iran, and the Future of Syria
Itamar Rabinovich and Amos Harel discuss the state of the civil war in Syria, Iran's growing presence and what that means for Israel, and the changing relationship between the Assad regime and Russia. Full show notes available here: http://brook.gs/2zRPguj Intersections is...
11.22.2017
Africa’s expanding middle class
In this episode of Intersections, Haroon Bhorat, nonresident senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative, and Homi Kharas, interim vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development Program, discuss how the global trend of a rising middle class...
10.18.2017
Promoting inclusive economic growth in Washington, D.C.
In this episode of Intersections, Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, and Jason Miller, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, discuss the economic dynamics of the Washington,...
10.04.2017
Madeleine Albright and Mehdi Jomaa on democracy and security
In this episode of Intersections, Brookings Senior Fellow Ted Piccone talks with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Prime Minister of Tunisia Mehdi Jomaa about the importance of liberal democracy in strengthening international security, and why states should...
09.20.2017
Who’s getting left behind in broadband internet access?
In this episode, Brookings experts Adie Tomer and Elizabeth Kneebone discuss the findings from their new report, "Signs of Digital Distress: Mapping broadband availability and subscription in American neighborhoods," which examines the neighborhoods lacking in broadband infrastructure, and which ones have...
09.06.2017
Measuring financial inclusion around the world
Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, and Camille Busette, senior fellow and director of the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative, discussed the findings of the latest Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project report, which measures how well...
08.23.2017
America’s prisoners of war: Changing U.S. norms on torture
“Men who take up arms against one another in public war do not cease on this account to be moral beings, responsible to one another and to God.” - Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the...
08.07.2017
Summer vacation - Fall preview
While Intersections is on summer vacation, don't forget to tune into 5 on 45 and the Brookings Cafeteria, or catch up on some older episodes you might have missed. Thanks as always to Gaston Reboredo and Vanessa Sauter. Intersections will...
07.26.2017
Renewable energy and the path to a low-carbon energy future
David Victor, co-chair of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings and professor of international relations at the University of California, San Diego, and Christopher Clack, CEO of Vibrant Clean Energy, discuss the complexities of adopting sources of renewable energy, why...
07.12.2017
Why taxes in Kansas matter
William Gale and Vanessa Williamson discuss what can be learned from state-level experiments in taxation in Kansas and California, Americans’ feelings about paying their taxes, and the empirical evidence versus ideology on how tax policy affects economic growth. Full show notes available here: http://brook.gs/2vcjAx6 ...
06.28.2017
Professionalism in politics: The paradox of populism
In this episode of Intersections, Benjamin Wittes and Jonathan Rauch, senior fellows in Governance Studies, address the importance of political institutions in relation to direct democratic participation and discuss their new report, "More professionalism, less populism: How voting makes...
06.07.2017
The 1967 War, the rise of Saudi Arabia, and modern energy politics
During the 50th anniversary of the 1967 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors, Brookings experts Bruce Riedel and Samantha Gross detail the consequences of that struggle for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states and the lasting reverberations for energy and geopolitical relations...
05.24.2017
Cash assistance for child poverty
In this episode of Intersections, guest interviewer Ron Haskins, co-director of the Brookings Center on Children and Families, discusses changes in the social safety net and the role of cash assistance in meeting the needs of families with children with...
05.10.2017
Macron's election and the European project
Visiting Fellow Philippe Le Corre and Robert Bosch Senior Fellow Constanze Stelzenmüller with the Center on the U.S. and Europe at Brookings discuss Emmanuel Macron's victory in France's presidential election, upcoming elections in the UK and Germany, and the need...
04.26.2017
Carbon pricing: Harnessing market efficiency in pursuit of clean energy
Adele Morris, senior fellow and policy director for Climate and Energy Economics, and David Victor, co-chair of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative, discuss how putting a price on carbon emissions is one of the most effective measures by which...
04.12.2017
Teaching for the 21st century: Broader skills for global citizens
Guest interviewer Esther Care, senior fellow in the Center for Universal Education, discusses with Ramya Vivekanandan, program specialist at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and Sean Slade, director of outreach at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,...
03.29.2017
U.S.-Mexico relations: Beyond “America first” rhetoric
Dany Bahar, fellow in Global Economy and Development, and Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow in the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, discuss how U.S.-Mexico relations have been affected by the Trump administration, misconceptions about NAFTA, immigration, and crime, and...
03.13.2017
Scaling to sustainability: Meeting the challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals
Jenny Perlman Robinson, fellow with the Center for Universal Education, and John McArthur, senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, address progress toward meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and explain how scaling up local development efforts enables the learning,...
03.01.2017
Charter schools and federal power: What’s next for education policy?
Elizabeth Mann and Jon Valant, both fellows in the Brown Center on Education Policy, lay out the status of federal versus state powers in education, explain how charter schools work and how they perform, and provide insight as to what the future of education policy...
02.14.2017
Net neutrality, the FCC, and the digital divide
Nicol Turner-Lee, a fellow in Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation, and Evan Swarztrauber, the communications director at TechFreedom, explain the role of the FCC and Congress in protecting consumers and incentivizing internet providers for a digital ecosystem that is...

What's Intersections about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Intersections episodes:

Financing Africa’s economic growth

The roots of America’s divided politics

Russia’s challenge to the West

Preventing violent extremism in fragile states

Realizing the value of black neighborhoods

Advancing women's leadership around the world

Priorities for climate change action after COP 24

Recommendations for US policy toward Gaza

The promise of community colleges as pathways to high-quality jobs

What’s next for Israel and the Palestinians 25 years after Oslo?

Why racial inequality and regional economic inequality can’t be separated

How India and China are reshaping their neighborhood

Americans stuck on the sidelines

Is anyone winning the US-China trade war?

How Africa's historic free trade agreement will change the continent

Trump and the crumbling of the US-led world order

What the Supreme Court’s Janus decision means for unions and workers

How to make infrastructure work for people

The politics of reconstruction in Syria

How should schools measure student success?

What the U.S. withdrawal means for the future of the Iran deal

Transforming public spaces with learning landscapes

China, the U.S., and Africa's transforming trade environment

The U.S., China, and India balancing act in the Indo-Pacific

Raising wages and strengthening economic progress for American workers

The women working to improve girls' education

The changing identity of America's middle class

America’s “lost Einsteins”: The importance of exposing children to innovation

Avoiding nuclear conflict on the Korean peninsula

An Israeli Knesset member's perspective on activism and politics

Russia, Iran, and the Future of Syria

Africa’s expanding middle class

Promoting inclusive economic growth in Washington, D.C.

Madeleine Albright and Mehdi Jomaa on democracy and security

Who’s getting left behind in broadband internet access?

Measuring financial inclusion around the world

America’s prisoners of war: Changing U.S. norms on torture

Summer vacation - Fall preview

Renewable energy and the path to a low-carbon energy future

Why taxes in Kansas matter

Professionalism in politics: The paradox of populism

The 1967 War, the rise of Saudi Arabia, and modern energy politics

Cash assistance for child poverty

Macron's election and the European project

Carbon pricing: Harnessing market efficiency in pursuit of clean energy

Teaching for the 21st century: Broader skills for global citizens

U.S.-Mexico relations: Beyond “America first” rhetoric

Scaling to sustainability: Meeting the challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals

Charter schools and federal power: What’s next for education policy?

Net neutrality, the FCC, and the digital divide