The American Idea

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Dr. John Moser, Professor of History and the Chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Ashland University, to talk about the rise of Franklin Roosevelt and the origins of his radical presidency. John and Jeff will examine these topics through a fascinating and engaging conversation on Roosevelt's 1932 campaign speech, the Commonwealth Club Address. Recently ranked the second greatest campaign speech in political history, the speech set the ideological groundwork for Roosevelt's New Deal policies and the role of the federal government in twentieth century America. Listen to the full conversation to learn more about this essential (but understudied) speech in political history.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

Building on our recent conversation with former Vice President Mike Pence, Jeff welcomes Stephen Knott, Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College, to The American Idea for a conversation on the evolution of the vice presidency. Stephen is a renowned presidential scholar, having recently participated in the C-SPAN Presidential Leadership survey and published a book on the lost soul of the presidency. A long-standing friend of Ashbrook, he is also the Thomas and Mabel Guy Professor in American History and Government at Ashland University. Jeff and Stephen talk about the origins and history of the vice presidency, how it's evolved to a position of great power in the late twentieth century, and some of its most famous (and infamous) occupants.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

On this very special episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes former Vice President Mike Pence to the Schramm Library. As many of our listeners know, Mr. Pence was the 48th Vice President of United States, serving alongside President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2021. Before that, he was a six-term congressman from the State of Indiana and Governor of the same state from 2013 to 2017. In their conversation, Mr. Pence and Jeff talk about the role of the vice president, his twenty years of experience in both Congress and the White House, and why teaching American history and civics is more important than ever before.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Donald Drakeman, Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Notre Dame and the Founding Chairman of the Advisory Council of the James Madison Program in Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University for a conversation how we should interpret the Constitution. Donald is a renowned constitutional scholar, having been cited by the Supreme Courts of the United States and the Philippines. His books on the Constitution include Church, State, and Original Intent (Cambridge, 2009), a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, and his most recent book The Hollow Core of Constitutional Theory; Why We Need the Framers (Cambridge, 2021). Donald and Jeff talk about the dangers of the living constitution, the real role of judges in our democratic republic, and why interpreting the Constitution should matter to you!

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Jason Stevens, Professor of History and Political Science at Ashland University and the Director of Teacher Programs at the Ashbrook Center, to talk about the conflicting political ideologies at the heart of the Progressive Era, spanning three decades at the end of the nineteenth century and the dawn of the twentieth century. Particularly, their conversation with focus on two speeches that offer drastically different understandings of American government and its future: "The Authors and Signers of the Declaration" (1907) by Woodrow Wilson and "Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence" (1926) by President Calvin Coolidge.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Natalie Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Science at Skidmore College, to the show for a conversation on Susan B. Anthony's "Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote?" Their conversation explores how to understand the Constitution's relationship to the Declaration of Independence, the history of women's suffrage during the nineteenth century, women's rights (and lack thereof) during the Founding, and Anthony's lasting legacy on road to the passing of the 19th Amendment.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Daniel Gullotta, Doctoral Candidate in Religious Studies at Stanford University and the host of The Age of Jackson podcast, to the show for a conversation on American prophets. Daniel is a scholar on religion in early American history and is a graduate of Yale University’s Divinity School, in the Master of Arts in Religion program. Their conversation will examine the life and times of three influential American religious leaders from the Early Republic: Joseph Smith, Robert Matthews, and Nat Turner.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Lucas Morel, Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University and a Visiting Graduate Faculty Member in Ashland University's Masters of American History and Government program, to talk about Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. Lucas is a renowned scholar on American political thought and Abraham Lincoln, having recently published a new book called Lincoln and the American Founding. Their conversation will examine the crucial last twelve months of the American Civil War, Lincoln's evolving sentiments on emancipation and reconstruction, and how Justice Clarence Thomas was right when he claimed that the speech is Lincoln's Sermon on the Mount.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

Building on our recent conversation with Fox News Contributor Mollie Hemingway, Jeff welcomes Joe Fornieri, Professor of Political Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Director of the Center for Statesmanship, Law, and Liberty, to the show for a discussion on the history of free speech and journalism in America. Their conversation stretches from Colonial America and seditious libel all the way through to modern day, where academia and digital media are raising new questions about the role of free speech and the press in our experiment in self-government.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen

In this special episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Fox News contributor and Senior Editor of The Federalist, Mollie Hemingway, for a conversation on media and political society. Their conversation covers what's wrong with contemporary journalism, its relation to politics, and how thoughtful engagement with American Founding principles is good for journalism -- and for the country.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen