The Zeitgeist

By American-German InstituteSociety & Culture Government

The Zeitgeist episodes

October 14 Episode 157: What Factors are Driving the AfD’s Success?
The Alternative for Germany has received unprecedented support in state elections in 2026, especially in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In this episode of The Zeitgeist, Hannah Alarian discusses what issues and …
34 min
September 23 Episode 156: State Election Aftershocks
Regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Berlin saw successes for the far-right Alternative for Germany and far-left Die Linke and “disaster” for the mainstream parties. The episode of The Zeitgeist …
43 min
September 17 Episode 155: The Transatlantic Investment Relationship
Investment is the backbone of transatlantic trade, but foreign direct investment between the United States and Germany has fallen in both directions in the past year. The German Economic Institute’s …
25 min
August 26 Episode 154: Germany’s Autumn: The Regional and International Constraints on National Politics
Approval ratings for Chancellor Merz and his government are at historic lows, the war in Ukraine is in its fifth year, and instability abroad has led to economic challenges at …
44 min
August 13 Episode 153: The Greens’ Next Steps
Germany’s Green Party is no longer part of the federal government and is seeking a comeback. How can the party mobilize the electorate and counter growing fragmentation and extremism in …
40 min
July 29 Episode 152: How to Win a Trade War
The global economic landscape is contested between China and the United States, with America’s partners such as Europe also playing important roles. China has pursued policies of one-way dependencies, and …
33 min
July 15 Episode 151: Soccer and Society
The 2026 World Cup has been bigger than ever before; an expanded tournament of forty-eight teams has brought record-breaking audiences. On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Andrei Markovits discusses soccer …
32 min
June 30 Episode 150: Valuing Civil Society Organizations
Civil society organizations are funded differently in the United States and Germany, and LGBTQ+ organizations must take different approaches when seeking financial support from the public and private sector. Preston …
39 min
June 17 Episode 149: Forgotten LGBTQ+ Histories
The Stonewall Riots are known worldwide as a starting point for LGBTQ+ activism, and musicals like Cabaret have shared the story of the queer experience in Weimar Berlin. But the …
41 min
June 03 Episode 148: Weaponized Interdependence in a Changing International System
The United States has exploited strategic networks and dependencies to its advantage in foreign policy. As the international system has transformed, more countries seek to play at the game of …
35 min