Brussels Sprouts

”The New Battle for the Atlantic” with Magnus Nordenman

Former Director of the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council Magnus Nordenman joins Jim Townsend and Carisa Nietsche to break down his latest book, The New Battle for the Atlantic. Their conversation focuses on Russia’s naval resurgence and military investment in the north Atlantic as well as NATO’s best strategies for securing its namesake territory.

Ilan Goldenberg on Iran, Europe, and the United States

CNAS Senior Fellow and Middle East Security Program Director Ilan Goldenberg joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend for an in-depth look at the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz. With Iran seizing foreign oil tankers and Washington’s recalcitrance in the face of European diplomatic efforts, there’s an ever-present danger that escalation might lead to a conflict that no side wants.

Populism in America and Abroad with Dr. Sheri Berman

Populism expert Dr. Sheri Berman of Barnard College joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend for a discussion about the history, present, and future of populism in Europe and the United States. How is populism reshaping young democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as more established democracies in Western Europe and the United States?

Dmitry Suslov on the Trends Shaping Russian-American Relations

Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend for an in-depth discussion about the state of Russian-American relations. How does each country view the other, and are their competing visions for world order irreconcilable?

The Populist Challenge to Liberal Democracy with Cas Mudde

Dr. Cas Mudde, Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss contemporary populism. Right- and left-wing populist movements have grown around the world in the last decade, but right- and left-wing populists feature remarkable differences. Dr. Mudde underlines that populism is a fundamental challenge to liberal democracies everywhere.

The State of Global Democracy with Larry Diamond

Senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Dr. Larry Diamond joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the health of global democracy and his latest book, Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency. Dr. Diamond discusses the electoral, institutional, and geopolitical threats to the world’s democracies and what solutions the United States, Europe, and their allies can forward to bolster against authoritarian states’ resurgence.

Istanbul, Erdogan, and the Future of Turkish Politics with Steven A. Cook

Dr. Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche for a discussion on the latest rerun of the Istanbul mayoral election. A decade of divisive AKP politics has turned Erdogan’s ‘stronghold’ of Istanbul against him, but his personalist regime is far from collapse. Going forward, Erdogan and the AKP will try to box in opposition urban mayors and retain as tight a grip on national-level politics as possible.

Brian Taylor on Putinism and Its Long-term Effects on Russian Politics

Dr. Brian D. Taylor, Chair of the Political Science Department at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor for a discussion about his book, The Code of Putinism. Russia’s institutions are generally weak, and authority resides within various circles and factions of actors, all secondary to the man at the top. Putinism is less an ideology than a code for staying in Vladimir Putin’s good graces, administering authority over the largest country on earth, and maintaining a grip on power in a nation whose economy continues to stagnate. This episode also tackles the question of succession and what Russian politics, and Vladimir Putin’s place in it, might look like after 2024.

Greek Politics with Katerina Sokou

Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Kathimerini and Skai TV Washington Correspondent Katerina Sokou joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the snap Greek elections set for July. PM Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza rode a left-wing populist surge in 2015 but has since stepped back from electoral promises and commitments. The Greek public responded by treating the latest EU parliamentary elections as a referendum on Tsipras’ government, forcing him to call an early election after Syriza came in behind the New Democracy party. Nonetheless, with Golden Dawn losing all but two if its EU parliament seats, Tsipras losing his coalition partner over the Prespas Agreement, and New Democracy surging in the polls, Greek politics are far from being settled.

Dr. John A. Gans, Jr., on ”White House Warriors” and the National Security Council

Dr. John A. Gans, Jr., joins Jim Townsend and Carisa Nietsche to discuss his recent book "White House Warriors: How the National Security Council has Transformed the American Way of War." Dr. Gans discusses his experiences both researching and interacting with the NSC, its staff, and its wider impact as a ‘wartime’ NSC since 9/11. We conclude with a discussion about the concept of the NSC as an honest broker and whether it functions more effectively as an instrument of presidential administrations or as a mediator between the White House and other institutions that shape U.S. national security.