Special Relationship

This episode explores immigration. We discuss the path to where we are today in both the US and UK and also discuss the current political reality around this important topic. 

John's recommendation: https://strictscrutinypodcast.com/

Gabe's recommendation: The Amazon union drive push in Bessemer Alabama. 

PS: Our apologies for the delay on getting this episode out! We will try to keep a more consistent schedule going forward.

In this episode we begin by reflecting on the events at the US Capitol on January 6th and the outcomes of the Georgia Senate Runoff elections. We then reflect on the role religion plays in both of those topics and then explore the role of religion in politics in both the US and UK.

Gabe's recommendation: The Queen's Gambit, Netflix

John's recommendation: Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson

In this month's episode we explore how the US and UK have managed the Coronavirus pandemic. We dig into the measures each country has put in place, the impact on political leaders, and potential longer term effects on the political landscape. Please note that this episode was recorded before London and parts of the southeast of England were placed in Tier 4 restrictions amid the discovery of a new, more transmissible version of the virus. 

John's recommendation: Chartbook - https://adamtooze.substack.com/

Gabe's recommendation: Maradona coverage; Guardian Football Weekly Tribute, Jacobin Podcast, Asif Kapadia’s documentary Diego Maradona

After finally getting (some) closure on the 2020 election, Gabe and John discuss the election results, some of the drivers behind the returns and preview what might happen with both the Democratic and Republican parties. This episode was recorded on Monday, November 9th. Our apologies, but there are no recommendations this time.

In this episode of “Special Relationship” we look at the difference between the courts in the United States and the United Kingdom following the recent death of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For the Matt Karp article that Gabriel references, see https://jacobinmag.com/2020/09/abraham-lincoln-supreme-court-slavery.

For our monthly recommendations, John chose the HBO series Lovecraft Country while Gabriel recommended Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s recent book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

The US presidential election is under two months away! In this episode we are joined by our first ever guest, Mitchell Robertson (@mitch_robertson) who is a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford. The three of us discuss the Republican and Democratic conventions and preview the months ahead. We look back on famous presidential debates, discuss how the electoral college works, and which swing states people should be looking out for nearer the date. We end by talking about how the US models differ from both UK and Australian elections.

Mitch’s recommendation: West Wing S02 E18, 17 People 

John’s recommendation: McKinsey report on impact of closing the racial wealth gap and key drivers

Gabe’s recommendation, Samuel Moyn, “The Never Trumpers Have Already Won," New Republic.

In this episode we check in on where we are in the Brexit process. How we got here, what happens next and what it all means. We also do a brief preview of the political conventions in the US.

*Apologies for the delay in releasing this episode*

In this episode we explore the third parties in the UK as well as notable third party presidential runs in American politics. We explain the role they play in their respective political systems, how they impact the major political parties and how they reflect broader public opinion in important ways.

Gabriel's recommendation was dropped but is "How do we change america" by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor.

This episode continues our series on political parties with a discussion of "The Right." From Britain's natural governing party to an ever changing Republican party in the US, join us to understand a bit more about the parties currently in charge.

In this episode, we explore the makeup of the British and American constitutions and their impact on politics more broadly. We trace the origins, explore the controversies and much to Gabriel's chagrin, try and peer into the future.