“So much depends on our theory of human nature,” said psychologist Steven Pinker. “We use our conceptions of human nature to manage our relationships, to control our own behavior, and guide our policies in law and government.” But what is human nature? In formulating his own understanding of human nature, Pinker rejects three popular conceptions and proposes his own framework based on recent scientific conclusions. AEI researcher and resident skeptic Will Baird joins the podcast to discuss...

Leave it to a legal scholar to ask: Is a stigma a tax? If so, can government act legitimately to remove that stigma? To legal scholar Cass Sunstein, the answer is yes. Certain social norms, Sunstein explains, such as wearing a seatbelt in Hungary or carrying a gun in Sunstein’s neighborhood, act as taxes on particular behaviors. Norms that encourage certain behaviors are, analogously, subsidies. Sunstein faces an uphill battle making this case against the backdrop of a liberal tradition of...

To some, Thomas Jefferson’s declaration that “all men are created equal” is the height of American greatness. To others, given Jefferson’s ownership of slaves, it represents the height of hypocrisy. Where you fall probably depends upon how you interpret the word “equal” — which is the topic of Gordon Wood’s Bradley Lecture, “Thomas Jefferson and the Idea of Equality.” To discuss Jefferson’s complicated legacy and Wood’s analysis, we welcome to the podcast Nicole Penn, AEI researcher,...

This Juneteenth — the day celebrating the end of slavery in the United States — take a moment to think about what it means to be free. Harvard sociologist Orlando Patterson provocatively argues that without the notion of slavery the concept of freedom cannot fully exist. In his lecture, “Free at last: How slavery begat freedom,” he explains that freedom is a concept unique to the west. Without our ugly history of slavery, in Patterson’s telling, we could not cherish the gift of liberty as we...

What are schools for? To prepare students for participation in an economy? To cultivate virtue? Or just to make sure that no child is left behind? Economist Sam Peltzman argued in 1993 that American public schools were failing by at least one of those standards, and that certain political conditions were to blame. AEI’s Rick Hess joins the show to discuss whether Peltzman had the right answers — or was even asking the right questions. This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in April...

“QUIT. Go teach somewhere else, you racist… (Maybe Charlottesville?)” After publishing an op-ed in the New York Times calling for greater viewpoint diversity on college campuses, Sam Abrams found a sign saying just that on his office door at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. Abrams joins the podcast to discuss Glenn Loury’s 1994 lecture “Self-censorship in public discourse” and recent attempts by students and even faculty members to censor and ostracize academics who present...

Is Israel a Jewish state? Or just a state of Jews? In this Bradley Lecture, Israeli political philosopher Yoram Hazony examines the growing discomfort on the part of many Israelis with Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. Using examples such as military codes of ethics and history curricula, he sketches a picture of a state shying away from its sense of common history, values, and role in Jewish history. In our current era of ascendant nationalism across the globe, and with Israeli...

We take for granted that America is the world’s preeminent superpower, with hegemony abroad and prosperity at home. But how did we get here? And what does it mean for the US to use its superpower status to be a world leader? In his new book, “Burdens of Freedom: Cultural Difference and American Power,” and in this 2016 Bradley Lecture, Professor Lawrence Mead argues that the basis of American wealth and power is an individualist culture. Threats to such a culture, Mead contends, are the...

What is social capital? And whatever it is, are Americans losing it? In his 1998 lecture, “Bowling with Tocqueville”, Everett Carl Ladd explained that he did not think so: His data and analysis led him to optimism about the state of participation in civil society, such as churches, recreational leagues, and even local politics. But more than twenty years have passed, and trends in religion, culture, economics, and technology seem to be driving Americans towards social alienation. AEI...

It finally happened: On Friday, February 15, President Trump announced an emergency at the southern border, allowing him to divert funds from other projects to enhance border security. How will this affect the military? What will this look like in practice? What type of precedent does this set? Rick Berger joined Banter to answer all these questions and more. Rick Berger is a research fellow at AEI, where he works on the defense budget, the National Defense Authorization Act, military...

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, released for President’s Day 2019, Walter Berns discusses the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The ideas contained in this lecture were the fruits of life-long study and reflection, and Professor Berns offers us additional reasons for sharing his regard for Lincoln, a man supreme in both word and deed. As we learn from Walter Berns, Abraham Lincoln may be said to be the poet or maker of the Americans, both by teaching us what to think...

This week on Banter, AEI Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies Robert Doar joined the show to discuss his career, poverty alleviation, and the role of think tanks in the United States. Robert was recently selected by the AEI Board of Trustees to serve as AEI’s twelfth president beginning in July 2019. During his tenure at AEI, Robert served as co-chair of the National Commission on Hunger and was a lead member of the AEI-Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity. He also contributed...

Will Made in China 2025 succeed in making China the world’s leading producer of high value technology? Is China really a threat to the world’s industrialized economies? On this episode, George Magnus discusses four “red flags” that may complicate China’s plans for growth­. George Magnus is an associate at the China Centre at the Oxford University, a research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and a former chief economist for UBS. His latest book is “Red Flags: Why Xi’s...

This week on Banter, AEI resident scholar Michael Rubin joined the show to discuss the revolution’s legacy and what it means for Iran, the Middle East, and the United States today. We also discuss the legacy of the Shah, the lessons other Middle East nations drew from his fall, and whether we can expect the regime to exist for a 50th, 60th, or 70th anniversary of the revolution. A teaser of his answer: “There is a tremendous appetite for a regime change in Iran. But, that doesn’t necessarily...

This week on Banter, AEI visiting fellow Roger Noriega joined the show to discuss the past, present, and future of Venezuela. We cover Venezuela’s history since Hugo Chavez first took power, the ongoing power struggle between Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, and what all this means for US policy moving forward. Learn More: Venezuela: Guaidó vs Maduro | In 60 Seconds Finally, US policy is getting it right on Venezuela

Have we entered a new Gilded Age? Are Facebook, Google, and Apple today’s Standard Oil, Northern Securities Company, and US Steel? On this episode, professor Tim Wu discusses the history and legacy of antitrust law in America, as well as whether it’s time to break up big-tech. Tim Wu is a professor at Columbia Law School where he focuses on antitrust, copyright, and communications law. His latest book is “The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age.” You can download the episode by...

Is Sen. Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ proposal really Medicare for all? And what are the real costs associated with single-payer health care? On this episode, AEI’s Benedic Ippolito discusses the oft ignored implications of the health care plans popular among 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls. Benedic Ippolito is a research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute where he focuses on health economics. You can download the episode by clicking the link...

This week on Banter, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy Nicholas Eberstadt joins the show to discuss his new report, “China’s demographic outlook to 2040 and its implications: An overview.” In this episode Dr. Eberstadt discusses how the structure of China’s population will likely change over the coming decades, what effects this may have on China’s domestic and foreign policy, and what this means for the United States. Learn More: China’s demographic outlook to 2040 and its...

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, Charles Krauthammer discusses “Defining Deviancy Up.” This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in 1993. Dr. Krauthammer worried that Americans were beginning to define typical, healthy behaviors as deviant, changing everything from middle-class family life to ordinary sexual relationships, all while giving a pass to genuine criminality. This lecture was originally given in September 1993. To view a full list of the Bradley...

Germany has free college. Australia has low default rates. Why can’t America just follow their example? When proposing higher education reform, politicians often point to other countries as guides to what America should do. But what can we really learn from other countries’ higher education policies? In this episode of “The Report Card with Nat Malkus”, on the AEI Education Podcast, Jason Delisle and Alex Usher join us to discuss their new book on international higher education, and the...

Should we worry about the size of the trade deficit? How do we bring back American manufacturing? Why aren’t wages growing more quickly? On this episode, economics professor and BBC presenter Linda Yueh discusses how twelve of the world’s greatest economists might respond to these questions and more. Linda Yueh is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at the London Business School, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and a TV and radio presenter for the BBC. Her latest book is “What Would the...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said it “absolutely” should be part of our conversation about the economy. During the presidential campaign, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ chief economist was an adherent. But what the heck is Modern Monetary Theory? On this episode, economist and AEI scholar Stan Veuger breaks it all down, discussing his latest article for AEI Economic Perspectives titled Modern Monetary Theory and Policy. Stan Veuger is a resident scholar here at AEI where he specializes in...

This week on Banter, AEI Resident Scholar Ken Pollack joins the show to discuss his new book “Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness.” The book describes four explanations as to why Arab militaries have performed so poorly since World War II. In this episode, Dr. Pollack analyzes each explanation and explains why understanding Arab military effectiveness matters, given the changing balance of power in the Middle East. Learn More: Armies of Sand: The...

As China continues to become economically and militarily dominant there is a tendency in Washington to act as though it all could have been prevented. But could China have been stopped? On this episode, China specialist and AEI fellow Zack Cooper walks us through how and why China failed to be incorporated into the international order as well as the futility of Trump’s tariff regime in changing Chinese behavior today. Zack Cooper is a research fellow here at AEI, where he studies US defense...

As technology proliferates, worries about children spending too much time in front of screens have become common. In this episode of “The Report Card with Nat Malkus,” on the AEI Education Podcast, Jenny Radesky and Erika Christakis join host Nat Malkus to give families tips on how to manage media use and discuss what we know about screen time, how parents’ screen time affects children’s development, and what we still need to learn to understand the effects of technology on...