Conversations with Bill Kristol

Vin Weber is a former congressman from Minnesota, a respected political strategist, and a thoughtful analyst of American politics. In this Conversation, Weber reflects on Reaganite conservatism and makes the case for continued American leadership in the world. Kristol and Weber also discuss the Trump presidency, its implications for the Republican Party, and whether Trump’s election portends a breakup of the two party system.

Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod discusses the 2016 elections, particularly at the presidential level, and reflects on Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the victory of Donald Trump. He also considers challenges and opportunities for the Democrats and Republicans during the Trump presidency and possible paths forward for both parties. Finally, Kristol and Axelrod discuss the early days of the Trump White House and consider the prospects for his presidency.

On how the president, Congress, and courts might go about reforming the administrative state. Christopher DeMuth of the Hudson Institute and Adam J. White of the Hoover Institution diagnose the problems of the modern administrative state and reflect on the often harmful role it plays in our politics. Both lawyers, they offer significant insight into how administrative agencies of the federal government have become increasingly unchecked during the last few decades. DeMuth and White then consider how the Trump administration, Congress, and the courts might go about reforming the administrative state and restoring its accountability.

University of Virginia professor James Ceaser offers his account of the election of Donald Trump in his third conversation with Kristol. Ceaser considers what we might anticipate from the Trump administration—both on policies like immigration, trade, and American leadership in the world, as well as on constitutional issues like the separation of powers. Ceaser also discusses modern conservatism and how the Trump presidency might affect it. Finally, Kristol and Ceaser reflect on the Obama years and discuss possible similarities and differences between Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

A senior editor at The Weekly Standard, Andrew Ferguson is one of America’s leading writers and journalists. In this Conversation, Ferguson reflects on his career, including his work on American politics and culture, his time as a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush, and his start in journalism at the American Spectator. Ferguson and Kristol also discuss higher education, the state of the conservative movement, and the changing norms of our politics and culture from the early 1990s to the present.

National Review senior editor Jonah Goldberg discusses President-elect Donald Trump and how conservatives might think about their task during Trump’s presidency, in this, his second Conversation with Bill Kristol. Goldberg and Kristol also reflect on the state of liberalism and conservatism today, and consider some trends in the broader culture—e.g., political correctness, the rise of social media, celebrity politicians—and how they might affect the conservative movement in 2017 and beyond.

In his eleventh Conversation, Harvey Mansfield discusses Donald Trump's election and how political philosophy can inform our understanding of Trump. Mansfield and Kristol also discuss what Trump’s victory reveals about American politics and our parties.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow William A. Galston shares his perspective on American politics today, including the factors that led to the election of Donald Trump, the state of our parties after his election, and the prospects for the Trump presidency. A former senior aide to President Clinton, Galston considers the significance of the 2016 elections for the Democrats and outlines potential conflicts between what he calls “pro-growth progressives” and “populist progressives” within the party. Galston also describes his work with President Clinton and reflects on Clinton’s political gifts.

In this brief and timely conversation, Elliott Abrams and Bill Kristol reflect on the dictatorship of Fidel Castro, its record of brutality and repression, and the romanticization of the Castro regime by certain figures of the Left. Abrams then considers how the Trump administration might take advantage of this opportunity to change American policy toward Cuba, for the benefit of the U.S. and for the Cuban people.

Kristol, Abraham, and Cost analyze the 2016 elections and the opportunities and challenges for the Trump administration, particularly during the transition and in the early days after inauguration. The group also discusses significant changes in American politics caused or revealed by the 2016 presidential race, including the importance of social media and chances for “outsider" candidates.