What are entitlements? How did they come to be so entrenched in American politics and economics? Why is it that people say that Social Security is going to run out of money? What does this have to do with you? Jeff welcomes analyst Jim Capretta to discuss the origins of America’s entitlement programs, how they have evolved, and why we are reaching a point where something must be done to shore up programs that are no longer fiscally solvent.

Read Jim's book on the subject: https://a.co/d/hn2gsDk

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Jeff is joined this week by Rear Admiral Mike Giorgione (ret.), former commander of Camp David during the Clinton and Bush administrations, to discuss the creation, evolution, and role of the president’s Maryland retreat.

Get the book here: https://a.co/d/aHCzcuS

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Alexander Hamilton didn’t get his due until a Hip-Hip musical brought him to the public eye, over 200 years after his death. But what did he contribute to the American Founding? What did he contribute to the #1 cited source by the Supreme Court, The Federalist? Renowned historian and author Stephen Knott joins Jeff to kick off our series of “Freedom for the Next 250” episodes, leading up to America's 250th birthday.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Think Herbert Hoover was just a failed Great Depression president? Think again. Historian George Nash reveals the shocking truth about one of America's most misunderstood leaders in this eye-opening episode of The American Idea.

What You'll Discover: How Hoover saved more lives than perhaps any person in history through WWI humanitarian efforts Why both Democrats AND Republicans wanted him as president in 1920 (FDR even supported him!) The real story behind his Great Depression response - and the external shocks that derailed recovery How a Quaker orphan from Iowa became a global mining engineer and international hero Why his "American Individualism" philosophy still matters in today's political debates

The Full Story Behind the Myths: Most Americans only know Hoover's 4-year presidency, but George Nash - the world's leading Hoover expert - reveals his incredible 50-year career in public service. From organizing food relief that fed millions across war-torn Europe to pioneering the role of Commerce Secretary, Hoover's progressive Republican vision shaped American policy for decades. Learn how Hoover's post-presidency "crusade against collectivism" influenced the conservative movement, why he founded the Hoover Institution as his "most important contribution," and how his ideas about limited government and voluntary associations remain relevant today. Perfect for: American history enthusiasts, political science students, anyone curious about presidential leadership, and viewers interested in the roots of modern conservative thought.

Taking Manhattan, available on Amazon - https://a.co/d/eQTNGWV https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

On Apple Podcasts: https://tr.ee/aTARALr9Gx

On Spotify: https://tr.ee/09Ca21CCp-

On iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-american-idea-119582945/

In August 1861, General John C. Fremont—once America's most famous explorer and the Republican Party's first presidential nominee—issued an unauthorized order freeing all slaves in Missouri. President Lincoln swiftly revoked it, fearing the decision would drive crucial border states into Confederate hands. The clash between these two men revealed a fundamental tension: Fremont operated on moral urgency and personal instinct, while Lincoln worked within constitutional constraints and political reality. Fremont's military career never recovered from the confrontation.

Yet sixteen months later, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation employed the exact legal framework Fremont had pioneered: military necessity as commander-in-chief during wartime. Historian and journalist John Bicknell joins us to explore how this forgotten general's bold gambit forced critical conversations about slavery's role in the war effort and ultimately shaped the constitutional pathway to emancipation. The story reveals why we remember one man as the Great Emancipator while the other faded into historical obscurity—and why both were essential to America's path toward freedom.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

What was the original purpose of Congress? What powers did the Founders give it to fulfill that purpose? How does that compare to the institution we see today, in which Americans profess very little trust. Explore the historical and constitutional roots of the “First Branch” and how time and some well-intentioned changes have distorted its powers and role within our government.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Discover how 55 delegates created the U.S. Constitution in just 88 days during the summer of 1787. Constitutional scholar Gordon Lloyd breaks down the Philadelphia Convention using his acclaimed "four-act drama" framework, revealing the behind-the-scenes negotiations, heated debates, and crucial compromises that shaped American government.

What You'll Learn:

✓ How Madison's Virginia Plan clashed with the New Jersey Plan

✓ The Connecticut Compromise that balanced state vs. popular representation

✓ Why slavery debates nearly derailed the entire convention

✓ How the Electoral College and presidency were actually created

✓ The dramatic final moments and Franklin's famous "rising sun" speech

Key Topics Covered:

• Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan conflict
• Connecticut Compromise and Great Compromise
• Three-Fifths Compromise and 1808 slave trade agreement
• Creation of the Electoral College system
• Presidential powers and impeachment provisions
• Committee of Detail and Committee of Style
• Bill of Rights controversy and non-signers

Featured Experts:

Gordon Lloyd (Pepperdine University, Ashbrook Center Senior Fellow)

Chris Burkett (Ashland University, Ashbrook Scholar Program Director)

Hosted by Jeff Sikkenga (Ashbrook Center Executive Director)

Related Resources:

The American Founding website: theamericanfounding.org

Ashbrook's 50 Core American Documents: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/product/50-core-american-documents-cdc/

Madison's Constitutional Convention notes (Ashbrook edition): https://teachingamericanhistory.org/product/debates-in-the-federal-convention-of-1787/

This episode explores James Ellman's book "Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War" with host Jeff Sikkenga from the Ashbrook Center. This military strategy documentary examines how US war tactics follow a consistent pattern: initial strategic defeats followed by rapid adaptation and ultimate victory. From Washington's military disasters in New York (1776) to early setbacks in Korea, American military history shows eight major strategic defeats between 1776-1951, yet US forces recovered each time through superior industrial mobilization, quick military leadership changes, and technological innovation.

The discussion challenges popular narratives about American military effectiveness, arguing that conflicts like Vietnam were battles within the broader Cold War victory. This military history analysis emphasizes that warfare has shaped America as much as democracy itself, with military service being the most reliable path to the presidency. The conversation covers America's unique ability to promote effective generals rapidly, mobilize industrial capacity for war, and maintain public support through prolonged military conflicts, while raising concerns about future warfare where traditional American military advantages may be threatened by emerging technologies like drone warfare and modern military tactics.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

You hear about them in the news, but how much do you know about capital markets - what they are, why they exist, how they've evolved over time, and what role the play in our economy and politics? Jeff discusses these in plain language with Bob Selvaggio, Head of Analytics at Rutter Associates.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea