LSE: The Ballpark

Contributor(s): Charlie Beckett, Sonia Livingstone, Chris Gilson, Sophie Donszelmann, Denise Baron | Fake news has taken the world and especially America by storm, and in this episode, we talk with two academics who are part of LSE’s effort to define and address this threat to society. We talk with Charlie Beckett and Sonia Livingstone about fake news: what it is and what we can do about it.

Contributor(s): John Collins, Alex Soderholm, Sophie Donszelman and Denise Baron | With the skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and overdose deaths in the US, John Collins and Alex Soderholm of the International Drugs Policy Unit join us to dissect the key questions behind this epidemic: what’s at the root of this opioid crisis? Where are these drugs coming from? And what can the US do about it?

Contributor(s): Kathy Cramer, Tory Mallett, Denise Baron, and Chris Gilson | The distance between America’s rural and urban communities have become a pivotal element of politics and elections. Professor Kathy Cramer has spent the last decade investigating the attitudes and identities that have contributed to this divide, and in this episode, we dive into that work with her and PhD candidate Tory Mallett.

Contributor(s): Neil Foley, Susannah Crockford, Chris Gilson, and Sophie Donszelmann | The current US president is not the first American leader to use inflammatory rhetoric about Latinos and push anti-immigration policies, but Donald Trump’s presidency has certainly brought these issue to the forefront of American politics. This episode we’re diving into the fear, resentment, and history behind racism towards Latinos, and in doing so, we’ll see that this is far from a recent phenomenon.

Contributor(s): Kathy Cramer and Denise Baron | The 2016 election revealed stark divisions along the rural-urban divide in America. Professor Kathy Cramer’s research explored that division and investigated how rural American resentment toward cities and the urban elite provided fertile ground for right-leaning candidates to win elections. Prof. Cramer recently presented this research at the LSE. You usually have to be in London to catch the public lectures sponsored by the US Centre, but this August, we’re bringing them to you. This podcast lecture series features the research of leading American academics. This is the third lecture of this series, and it features Professor Kathy Cramer on “The Politics of Resentment in the 2016 US Presidential Election”.

Contributor(s): Tali Mendelberg, Sophie Donszelmann | Do American universities promote income inequality? That's the question Professor Tali Mendelberg takes on in this lecture. You usually have to be in London to catch the public lectures sponsored by the US Centre, but this August, we're bringing them to you. This podcast lecture series features the research of leading American academics. This second lecture of the series is from Professor Tali Mendelberg, entitled "The Affluence Effect: College Socialization and Inequality in America".

Contributor(s): Neil Foley, Denise Baron | You usually have to be in London to catch the public lectures sponsored by the US Centre, but this August, we’re bringing them to you. This podcast lecture series features the research of leading American academics. This first lecture is from Professor Neil Foley, “Anxiety, Fear, and National Identity: anti-immigration politics and the rise of Latino power in the US."

Contributor(s): Thomas Frank, Inge Kjemtrup, Sophie Donszelmann, Denise Baron | After a number of disappointing elections, many people have been left asking “Who is the Democratic Party?” In this episode, we’ll not only take on that question, but we’ll take a step further. Who will the Democratic Party be going forward? Will there even be a Democratic Party going forward?

Contributor(s): Yuval Levin, Alex Sundstrom, Denise Baron, Chris Gilson | From the party of Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, the Republican Party is changing, but what caused these changes and where is American conservatism headed? This episode, we dive into these and other questions about the changing face of Republicans, the GOP, and American conservatism.

Contributor(s): Charles Kupchan, Emmanuelle Blanc, Chris Gilson, Denise Baron | This episode, we're taking a look at how President Trump's prioritisation of "America First" will impact foreign policy. What will America's presence and actions in the world look like during the Trump era?