The Politics Classroom

The Politics Classroom

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The Politics Classroom episodes

  • Unpacking Politics: Unpacking the First Year of Trump (47)

    Co-hosts Kate Floros and Evan McKenzie discuss the first year of the second Trump administration with guest E.J. Fagan. Topics range from Project 2025 and the Unitary Executive Theory to the exclusion of Congress from policymaking and the Democrats' chances in the 2026 mid-term elections.

    Kate, Evan, and E.J. are all professors in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois Chicago.

    E.J.'s book: The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics

    Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/4s5yLoL

    Today's show was produced by Jack Petraitis

    Cover art by Isabel McKenzie

    Music by Hunter Nico McKenzie at Handmade Audio

    1 hr 10 min
  • Unpacking Politics: Unpacking Maduro's Arrest

    In this new podcast, Unpacking Politics, political scientists Kate Floros and Evan McKenzie (University of Illinois Chicago) will discuss a wide range of political issues, trying to get to the bottom of what's going on in the world.


    In the first episode we talk with Juan Albarracín, our UIC Political Science colleague about the January 3, 2026 US special forces raid that deposed Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro.


    Produced by Jack Petraitis

    Cover art by Isabel McKenzie

    Music by Hunter Nico McKenzie at Handmade Audio

    41 min
  • 2023.15: An American in Lagos

    In the Classroom: Raymond Baker, Global Financial Integrity

    Topics: Operating businesses in Lagos, Nigeria; Biafra War; Coups in Nigeria; illicit financial flows; Global Financial Integrity

    Episode Transcript

    Intro & Outro Music: Three Goddesses by Third Age

    Transition Music: Animal Kingdom by Craig Allen Fravel

    Episode Art: © 2019 | Kristina Sherk Photography


    Raymond Baker's Books

    Invisible Trillions: How Financial Secrecy Is Imperiling Capitalism and Democracy and the Way to Renew Our Broken System (2023) Berrett-Koehler Publishers

    Capitalism's Achilles Heel: Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free-Market System (2005) Wiley

    Links

    Raymond Baker: https://gfintegrity.org/staff-member/raymond-baker/

    Global Financial Integrity: https://gfintegrity.org/

    Episode Transcript: https://bit.ly/American_in_Lagos

    Third Age: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285

    Craig Allen Fravel: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/462

    Episode Art: www.Kristinasherk.com

    Invisible Trillions: https://amzn.to/3tFx5ZM

    Capitalism's Achilles Heel: https://amzn.to/3Q3mzD3


    58 min
  • 2023.14: It's Kind of Bananas - The End of Affirmative Action

    In the Classroom: Professor Steven Schwinn, UIC School of Law

    Topics: SCOTUS; 2023 affirmative action cases; Equal Protection Clause; reinterpreting Brown v. Board (1954); achieving diversity without considering race; legacy admissions

    Episode transcript

    Intro & Outro music: Three Goddesses by Third Age

    Transition music: Hello, Good Morning by Liberty

    Photo description: White man with black glasses smiles at the camera while wearing a light blue checked dress shirt and navy blue blazer

    The Politics Classroom website

    The Politics Classroom YouTube Channel

    The Bookshelf: under construction


    Web Links

    Professor Steven Schwinn: https://law.uic.edu/profiles/schwinn-steven/

    UIC School of Law: https://law.uic.edu/

    Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/TPC_2023-14_transcript

    Third Age:

    https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285

    Liberty:

    https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/262

    The Politics Classroom website: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/

    The Politics Classroom YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@ProfessorFloros?si=RGS1YraHeU8b7RtF

    The Bookshelf: under construction

    1 hr
  • 2023.13: The Collapse of Tunisia's Democracy

    In the Classroom: Professor Sharan Grewal, Department of Government, College of William and Mary

    Topics: Tunisian revolution; democratic backsliding; self-coup; hyper-presidential political system; constitutional referendum; boycotting elections; secular/Islamist divide

    Episode Transcript

    Intro and Outro Music: Three Goddesses by Third Age

    Transition Music: Let Rivers Flow by Cast of Characters

    The Politics Classroom website

    The Bookshelf

    Episode on YouTube


    Episode Links

    Professor Sharan Grewal: https://sharangrewal.com/

    Department of Government, College of William and Mary: https://www.wm.edu/as/government/index.php

    Episode Transcript: https://bit.ly/TunisiaDemocracyCollapse

    "Three Goddesses":

    https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/13263
    Third Age:
    https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285
    "Let Rivers Flow":
    https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/12465
    Cast of Characters:
    https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/280
    The Politics Classroom website: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/

    The Bookshelf: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/post/2023-13-the-collapse-of-tunisia-s-democracy

    Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1QmNAJ2Kf2A

    57 min
  • 2023.12: Racism is Over - SCOTUS

    In the Classroom: Evan McKenzie, UIC Political Science

    Topics: US Supreme Court; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; writ of certiorari; Rule 10; rule of four; Voting Rights Act, Sec. 2; Independent State Legislature "Theory"; Affirmative action

    Episode transcript

    Episode art: Photo by Rochelle Nicole on Unsplash

    Intro & Outro Music: Three Goddesses by Third Age

    Transition Music: Swampy Lands by Adam Saban
    Transition sound effects: Electrical Guitar Clean Muted Melody Light 01 on Soundstripe

    The Politics Classroom website

    In the Classroom:

    Evan McKenzie: https://www.evancmckenzie.com/
    UIC Political Science: https://pols.uic.edu/

    Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/RacismOverSCOTUS

    Photo:

    Rochelle Nicole: https://unsplash.com/@rchllwlsn?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText
    Unsplash⁠: https://unsplash.com/photos/E9uJ65vwGmE?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

    Intro & Outro Music:

    Three Goddesses: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/13263
    Third Age: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285

    Transition Music:

    Swampy Lands: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/15115
    Adam Saban: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/642

    Transition sound effects:

    Electrical Guitar Clean Muted Melody Light 01: https://app.soundstripe.com/sfx/40655
    Soundstripe: https://app.soundstripe.com/

    The Politics Classroom website: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/

    58 min
  • 2023.11: Constitutions, Candidates, and Coups, Oh My!

    In the Classroom: Semih Patan & Petia Kostadinova, UIC Political Science

    Topics: Tunisia clarification and update; regimes, political systems, and voting rules 101; political party ideology; 2016 failed coup in Turkey; 2017 constitutional referendum in Turkey

    Episode Transcript

    Photo by Peter Kostov on Unsplash

    Image description: View of the Palace of Westminster, the Parliament of the UK, from the River Thames at sunset with the building reflected in the river.

    Intro & Outro Music: Three Goddesses by Third Age

    Transition Music: Ticky Tacky by Rhythm Scott

    Transition sound effect: Ball Shot at the Shield 01 from Soundstripe

    Links

    Semih Patan: https://pols.uic.edu/profiles/patan-semih/

    Petia Kostadinova: https://pols.uic.edu/profiles/kostadinova-petia

    Photo: https://unsplash.com/photos/lWLjqGxFPX4

    Photo artist: https://unsplash.com/@strippedlight

    Three Goddesses: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/13263

    Third Age:https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285

    Ticky Tacky: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/8433

    Rhythm Scott: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/211

    Transition sound effect: https://app.soundstripe.com/sfx/53697

    Soundstripe: https://app.soundstripe.com/

    Episode Transcript: https://8f1774c7-307a-4f6c-9af9-721b2a20c996.filesusr.com/ugd/478ee5_9bf3c85b4d7e469c915ce67ddb8d49e9.pdf

    1 hr
  • 2023.10: Competitive Authoritarianism in Turkey

    In the Classroom: Semih Patan, PhD Candidate, Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago: https://pols.uic.edu/profiles/patan-semih/; https://pols.uic.edu/

    Topics: Competitive authoritarianism; Turkish politics; Turkish 2023 presidential election; Justice and Development Party (AKP); AKP over time; secularism in Turkish politics; military as guardian of Turkish democracy (previously); detour into Tunisian politics

    Episode Transcript: https://bit.ly/CompetitiveAuthoritarianismTurkey

    Intro and Outro Music: Three Goddesses by ⁠Third Age⁠: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285

    Transition Music: Bosporus by Federico Ferrandina: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/404

    Transition Sound Effects: Simple Incoming 01 from Soundstripe: https://app.soundstripe.com/sfx/21205

    The Politics Classroom ⁠website⁠: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/

    For further information: ⁠The Bookshelf⁠: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/post/2023-10-competitive-authoritarianism-in-turkey

    Photo description: Turkish man with short, dark brown hair, parted on his left with a lighter brown beard and brown glasses looks directly at the camera. He is wearing a blue button-down shirt with a brown blazer.

    52 min
  • 2023.09: How Did the West Get Russia So Wrong?
    When the USSR collapsed, the West had so much hope for an integrated, peaceful Russia. What went so wrong, and how did the West actually embolden Putin to become a "serial aggressor"?
    In the Classroom: Russia expert Ambassador Ian Kelly
    Topics:
    Ambassador Kelly's Talk
    2:09: Ambassador Kelly's bio
    4:27: Opening remarks
    9:52: Outline of Talk
    10:52: 1994 Budapest Memorandum
    20:26: 2008 Invasion of Georgia
    24:01: 2014 Annexation of Crimea
    28:58: End of talk
    Q&A
    29:50: Executive agreements v. Treaties
    33:01: Public opinion in Russia
    37:37: Implications of objectors leaving Russia
    40:10: Impact on Russia's international reputation
    42:57: Threat (or not) of NATO
    44:29: Putin's endgame
    47:37: Democracy building
    51:31: Sanctions-dodging
    53:49: Being an ambassador in Trump administration
    56:43: End of Q&A
    Episode Transcript
    Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
    Intro & Outro Music: Three Goddesses by Third Age
    Transition Music: Multumesc Pentru Tot [Thanks for everything] by Cast of Characters
    Transition sound effects: Soundstripe
    The Politics Classroom website
    For further reading: The Bookshelf (under construction)
    Photo description: A hand, with all five fingers spread wide and pointing to the right, colored in the Ukrainian flag. Half of the hand, wrist and the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers are painted light blue. The other half of the hand, wrist, and the ring and pinkie fingers are pained yellow.
    Episode Links
    Ambassador Ian Kelly: https://internationalstudies.northwestern.edu/people/ambassador-in-residence.html
    Ambassador Kelly's bio: https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/247944.htm
    Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/HowWestGotRussiaSoWrong
    Ukrainian photographer, Elena Mozhvilo: https://unsplash.com/@miracleday
    Third Age: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/285
    Multumesc Pentru Tot: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/14760
    Cast of Characters: https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/280
    Soundstripe sound effect: https://app.soundstripe.com/sfx/72094
    The Politics Classroom: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/
    The Bookshelf: https://www.thepoliticsclassroom.org/post/2023-09-how-did-the-west-get-russia-so-wrong
    59 min

About The Politics Classroom

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For the politics-curious who need more context and explanation to understand the news.