McConnell Center Podcast

Listen in as Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd talks to a group of students about his life, career and experience studying China.

Ambassador Rudd served as Australia's twenty-sixth Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, then as Minister for Foreign Affairs, before a second term as Prime Minister in 2013. He was Member for Griffith in the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2013.

Since leaving government, Ambassador Rudd has resided in the United States where he is recognised as a leading analyst of China. In 2015, he became inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. In 2020, he was appointed President and CEO of the Asia Society globally and, in 2022, he founded the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis.In 2019, Ambassador Rudd was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to Indigenous reconciliation, innovative economic initiatives, and major policy reform, and through senior advisory roles with international organisations.

Important Links

More on Ambassador Rudd

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

Join the #McConnellCenter as we host author and writer Grace Olmstead to deliver a lecture titled "The Power of the Particular: Tocqueville's Vision for Stewardship in Place."

Ms. Olmstead speaks as part of the "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" series. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th century work, "Democracy in America."

Long considered a classic consideration of the origins, evolution, and future of democratic self-governance in America, we seek to read, understand, and examine Tocqueville's analysis and its implications for the United States today.

Founded in 1991, the non-partisan McConnell Center at the University of Louisville seeks to identify, recruit and nurture Kentucky's next generation of great leaders. Our core principles—leadership, scholarship and service—guide us as we (1) prepare top undergraduate students to become future leaders; (2) offer civic education programs for teachers, students and the public; and (3) conduct strategic leadership development for the U.S. Army.

Important Links

Grace Olmstead on social media

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes radio host Mr. Erick Erickson to discuss "Twenty-first Century Political Realignment: The United States After Trump."

Erick Erickson is an American conservative talk radio host, blogger, and former politician. He hosts a three-hour weekday talk show on WSB 95.5 FM and 750 AM in Atlanta, which is syndicated to other radio stations around the U.S. He also writes a right-wing political blog called The Resurgent.

Important Links

Erick Erickson's website

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Grace Olmstead to discuss The Power of Place and Particularity.

Grace Olmstead is a journalist who focuses on farming, localism, and family. Her writing has been published in The American Conservative, The Week, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Christianity Today, among others. A native of rural Idaho, she now lives outside of Washington, DC, with her husband and three children.

Important Links

Grace on Twitter

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Dr. Ricky L. Jones to discuss The Criminalization of Black History.

Raised by his grandmother in Atlanta's Carver Homes housing project, Ricky L. Jones not only became the first member of his immediate family to graduate high school, but by age 28 he also earned a Ph.D. Currently, he is Professor and Chair of the University of Louisville's Department of Pan-African Studies. Jones was educated as an undergraduate at the United States Naval Academy and Morehouse College. He was only the second African American to receive a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kentucky where he specialized in Political Philosophy and Comparative Politics.

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More about Dr Jones

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Trivius Caldwell to discuss The Importance of Juneteenth.

Trivius Caldwell is an active duty Lieutenant Colonel, Duke PhD student, and host of the "Live Everything" podcast where he explores the art of mindful leadership.

As a military leader and scholar, Trivius has interacted with people from diverse backgrounds and has learned how to navigate complex cultural environments. Join him on this special crossover episode of his "Live Everything" podcast where he explores the history and significance of celebrating Juneteenth.

Important Links

Hear more episodes of "Live Everything" podcast

Follow Trivius on LinkedIn

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Daniel McCarthy to discuss Conservatism, Populism, and 'Caesarism.'

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age. He is also director of the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program at the Fund for American Studies. From 2010 through 2016 he served as editor of The American Conservative. His writing has appeared in a wide variety of other publications, including The Spectator, Reason, and Orion. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied classics.

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More about Mr. McCarthy

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Dr. Michael Greve to discuss Federalism Among the States.

Professor of Law Michael S. Greve joined the faculty of the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University in fall 2012 after having served as John G. Searle Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he specialized in constitutional law, courts, and business regulation and served as chairman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

A prolific writer, Greve is the author of nine books and a multitude of articles appearing in scholarly publications, as well as numerous editorials, short articles, and book reviews. He is a frequent speaker for professional and scholarly organizations and has made many appearances on radio and television.

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More about Dr Greve

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Dr. Alan Harrelson to discuss "Kentucky Contributions to Southern Agrarian Thought."

Dr. Alan Harrelson is originally from Darlington County, South Carolina and received his PhD from Mississippi State University. He currently teaches graduate students at Liberty University. He also hosts a successful YouTube channel, The Pipe Cottage.

Important Links

Dr. Harrelson's written work on agrarian thought

The Pipe Cottage

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.

McConnell Center welcomes Dr Kathryn Norlock to discuss "What Comes Before and After Feminism?"

Dr Kathryn Norlock is a professor of philosophy at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics, as well as Acting Chair (for 2022-2023) in Gender and Social Justice.

​In 2015, she became a co-founder and co-editor of Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal free to authors and readers.

Dr Norlock's ongoing projects include research in moral emotions and ethical virtues, especially forgiveness.

Important Links

More about Dr Norlock

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This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Views expressed in this show are those of the participants and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center.