Eric and Eliot welcome their SAIS colleague Michael Mandelbaum to talk about his recent book, The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy. Among other topics, they discuss realism and idealism in U.S. policy, the historical origins of American policymakers’ traditional reliance on the economic instruments of national power, the prospects for U.S. policy towards Russia-Ukraine, China, and Iran, baseball, and mystery fiction.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Email us with your feedback at shieldoftherepublic@gmail.com.

Links:

• The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower by Michael Mandelbaum
• The Age of Reinterpretation by C. Vann Woodward
• Five Days in London by John Lukacs
• The Rise and Fall of Peace on Earth by Michael Mandelbaum
• The Meaning of Sports by Michael Mandelbaum
• Hercule Poirot
• Peter Diamond Series by Peter Lovesey
• Bernie Gunther Series by Philip Kerr

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