Carnegie Council Podcasts

Senior Fellow Reed Bonadonna, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, discusses the role of ethics in the transition to civilian life. With presidents Eisenhower and Grant as the ideal examples, he also details the attributes that veterans can bring to the political realm. Are the current group of veteran politicians better-positioned to work across the aisle? And what's changed in the White House now that three generals have left high-profile posts in the Trump administration?

The crucible of America's presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in our national history, along with many in between. From Abraham Lincoln's political savvy and rhetorical gifts to James Buchanan's indecisiveness, "The Presidents" teaches much about what makes a great leader--and what does not. What lessons can we learn from America's past presidents? Can these lessons help us choose the next one wisely? C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb shares his answers in this timely talk.

Senior Fellow Kavitha Rajagopalan discusses the ongoing Indian election through the complicated lens of citizenship and explains the vast power of political organizing and social media in the "world's largest democracy." What's at stake if Prime Minister Narendra Modi (the frontrunner) wins reelection? How have he and the BJP been able to push Hindu nationalism? What does voter disenfranchisement look like in India?

A lot of the talk about the Mueller Report has focused on its political and legal implications, but how will it affect U.S. foreign policy? Adelphi College's Jonathan Cristol discusses the reactions of allies and adversaries to Trump's passivity in the face of massive Russian interference in the U.S. election and congressional inaction and public apathy concerning presidential corruption. Plus, he details recent U.S. policy moves on Iran and the significance of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's speech to U.S. Congress.

From the French Revolution to the Arab Spring to #MeToo, how does social change happen? In a book that was 25 years in the making, Cass Sunstein unpacks this puzzle by exploring the interplay of three decisive factors. Don't miss this insightful talk. It may change how you view the world.

Central European University's President Michael Ignatieff is a human rights scholar, an educator, a former politician, and, as he tells us, the son of a refugee. He discusses what he calls "the ordinary virtues," such as patience and tolerance; the status of human rights today and the dilemmas of migration; the essential critera for true democracy; and the ideal curriculum. His advice to students: Learn to think for yourself.

On the 44th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge entering Phnom Penh, the Brennan Center's Andrew Boyle discusses his work helping to prosecute the perpetrators the of genocide and other crimes against humanity in 1970s Cambodia. Boyle details the cases, the defendants, and the controversies surrounding the tribunal. Why did justice take so long? How did Cambodians react to the trials? And why is this genocide conviction so significant?

Criterion Institute's Christina Madden discusses her think tank's strategy of demystifying finance for non-profit and grassroots organizations and using these global systems to create transformative social change. Madden discusses specific examples, involving the Dakota Access pipeline and the rights of women in the workplace. How is the #MeToo Movement similar to the fight against climate change?

In this episode of the Crack-Up series on 1919, Andrew Roberts, author of "Churchill: Walking with Destiny," examines how Churchill dealt with the complicated problems facing Great Britain at the end of World War I, including how to treat the Germans in defeat, his changing views on Russia--but always in pursuit of British national interests--his stance on a homeland for the Jews, and his determination to hold on to British India.

We've been through information and technology revolutions before, going back to Gutenberg, says former chairman of the FCC Tom Wheeler. Now it's our turn to be at a terminus of history and the rules that worked for industrial capitalism are probably no longer adequate for Internet capitalism. So our task is not to flee but to stand up, recognize the challenge, and deal with it.