The devastating defeat suffered by Democrats in 2024 revealed and deepened long-standing divisions within the American Left.  During this episode, the Baron team defines the major divides driving intra-Left competition, the most consequential factions of the Left, and possible outcomes to the fight over the future of the Democratic Party.

Since President Trump’s 2016 election victory, the American Right has undergone a major shift on the role of organized workers in the economy and labor policy.  In this episode, the Baron team discusses the reasons for a more pro-labor conservative movement, the future direction of right-of-center approaches to labor, and the impacts on politics and the business community.

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has defied Western predictions about China’s trajectory. In this episode, the Baron team explores why Western policy makers so often misunderstand China, what lessons can be drawn from these blind spots, and opportunities to better shape the future of the U.S.-China relationship.

Reflections on the role and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the contemporary conservative movement’s indispensable man.

The first 100 days of Trump’s second term have unfolded within a radically reshaped information environment. In this episode, the Baron team discusses the key Super Influencers shaping the Trump White House, explores what they reveal about the Administration’s agenda, and looks ahead to the next 100 days.

President Trump’s return to the White House already has sent shockwaves through “permanent Washington.”  The changes underway constitute the greatest political reform effort attempted in decades. Amid this upheaval and uncertainty, business leaders must navigate unfamiliar challenges and deploy unconventional solutions.  This episode of the Political Risk Brief examines the early 20th-century precedent to this revival in American populism.  The Baron team then describes the firm’s specific approach to managing risk as the current “Revolution in Political Affairs” attempts to overthrow the old order.

Election 2024 already has reshaped the American political landscape. The Baron team details the “four great betrayals” that produced the most remarkable presidential campaign in decades.  Now, once and future President Donald J. Trump leads a fractious coalition on the Right, and the business community must navigate an unfamiliar and changing competitive environment.

As the country hurtles toward a presidential election, surprising uncertainty surrounds the specific policy preferences of a possible second Trump Administration. In this episode, the Baron team highlights trends from the firm’s recent Influencer Analytics study of the most important outside influencers around President Trump and his campaign.  Based on Baron’s collection and assessment of more than 16,000 reference citations made by former President Trump and dozens of campaign advisors, the conversation explores the information environment around the Trump Campaign as issues critical to American business – especially taxes, trade, and antitrust – hang in the balance.

The Baron team delves into the political stability of Europe and examines the future of the European project.  Based on Baron principal Jonathan Baron’s recent trip to the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, the discussion also covers potential scenarios for the revitalization or decline of Europe as an important consideration for America’s approach to geopolitics. 

The denizens of “Gucci Gulch” have fallen on hard times.  For even the largest lobbying firms, average monthly retainers have declined during the last decade.  To add insult to injury, this lobbying recession has occurred amidst unprecedented overall prosperity for Washington, D.C.  Episode 22 of the Political Risk Brief podcast explores this curious trend and corporate political competition in an era of lobbying stalemate.