

LSE: The Ballpark
London School of Economics and Political Science
The Ballpark is the LSE Phelan US Centre's regular podcast on the politics and policy of the United States. Through features and interviews with academics from the LSE and elsewhere, The Ballpark looks more closely into what's going on behind the headlines.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 29, 2023 • 41min
LSE: The Ballpark | Religion over Race with Dr Amanda Sahar d’Urso and Dr Tabitha Bonilla
Contributor(s): Mohid Rehman Malik, Amanda Sahar d’Urso, Tabitha Bonilla | In 2023 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Dr Amanda Sahar d’Urso, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University and Dr Tabitha Bonilla, Associate Professor at Northwestern University, about their recent article Religion or Race? Using Intersectionality to Examine the Role of Muslim Identity and Evaluations on Belonging in the United States in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, which they also wrote about on the US Centre’s USAPP blog. They discuss the role of religious and racial identity in America today.
This Extra Inning was produced by Mohid Malik and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Amanda Sahar d’Urso (Georgetown University) and Tabitha Bonilla (Northwestern University)

Nov 13, 2023 • 54min
LSE: The Ballpark | In Quest of a Shared Planet with Dr Naveeda Khan
Contributor(s): Mohid Rehman Malik, Dr Naveeda Khan | In 2023 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Naveeda Khan, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University about her new book, In Quest of a Shared Planet: Negotiating Climate from the Global South, the role that UN Climate Change Conferences (or “COPs”) play in the global climate framework, and the relationship between the global north and south in taking responsibility for and mitigating the effects of climate change.
This Extra Inning was produced by Mohid Malik and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Naveeda Khan (Johns Hopkins University)

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 44min
The Future of Capitalism Conference: Panel 1 on Globalisation and the Return of Geopolitics
Contributor(s): Dr C Raja Mohan, Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, Professor Michael Mastanduno | On the 20th and 21st of October 2023, the London School of Economics' Phelan United States Centre hosted the Future of Capitalism in an Age of Insecurity Conference. Bringing together leading scholars and analysts, the conference examined the effects of geopolitical turmoil, democratic discontent, anti-globalism, and technological change on capitalist economies.
On Saturday the 21st of October, the first conference panel of the day was globalisation and the return of geopolitics. This panel featured Professor Michael Mastanduno of Dartmouth College, C. Raja Mohan of the Asia Society, and Anne-Marie Slaughter, the CEO of New America. The panel was chaired by Professor Peter Trubowitz, Centre Director of the LSE Phelan United States Centre and Associate Fellow at Chatham House. The LSE's incoming new President and Vice Chancellor Larry Kramer also gave opening remarks before the panel.
Contributors: Professor Michael Mastanduno (Dartmouth College), C. Raja Mohan (Asia Society), Anne-Marie Slaughter (New America), Professor Peter Trubowitz (LSE)

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 32min
The Future of Capitalism Conference: Keynote Address: Rethinking Market Capitalism: Innovation and the Path to Shared Prosperity with Professor Daron Acemoglu
Contributor(s): Professor Daron Acemoglu | On the 20th and 21st of October 2023, the London School of Economics' Phelan United States Centre hosted the Future of Capitalism in an Age of Insecurity Conference. Bringing together leading scholars and analysts, the conference examined the effects of geopolitical turmoil, democratic discontent, anti-globalism, and technological change on capitalist economies.
On Friday the 20th of October, the conference keynote event, Rethinking Market Capitalism: Innovation and the Path to Shared Prosperity, was given by Professor Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT. The keynote event was chaired by Professor Peter Trubowitz, Centre Director of the LSE Phelan United States Centre and Associate Fellow at Chatham House.
Contributors: Professor Daron Acemoglu (MIT), Professor Peter Trubowitz (LSE)

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 35min
The Future of Capitalism Conference: Panel 3 on Global Governance in an Era of Anti-Globalism
Contributor(s): Professor G. John Ikenberry, Professor David Luke, Professor Nita Rudra | On the 20th and 21st of October 2023, the London School of Economics' Phelan United States Centre hosted the Future of Capitalism in an Age of Insecurity Conference. Bringing together leading scholars and analysts, the conference examined the effects of geopolitical turmoil, democratic discontent, anti-globalism, and technological change on capitalist economies.
On Saturday the 21st of October, the third conference panel of the day was Global Governance in an Era of Anti-Globalism. This panel featured Professor G. John Ikenberry of Princeton University, David Luke of the LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, and Professor Nita Rudra of Georgetown University. The panel was chaired by Professor Leslie Vinjamuri of Chatham House and SOAS University of London.
Contributors: Professor G. John Ikenberry (Princeton University), David Luke (LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa), Professor Nita Rudra (Georgetown University), Professor Leslie Vinjamuri (Chatham House and SOAS)

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 45min
The Future of Capitalism Conference: Panel 2 on Populism and Democratic Capitalism
Contributor(s): Professor Ian Shapiro, Professor Luigi Zingales, Professor Sheri Berman | On the 20th and 21st of October 2023, the London School of Economics' Phelan United States Centre hosted the Future of Capitalism in an Age of Insecurity Conference. Bringing together leading scholars and analysts, the conference examined the effects of geopolitical turmoil, democratic discontent, anti-globalism, and technological change on capitalist economies.
On Saturday the 21st of October, the second conference panel of the day was Populism and Democratic Capitalism. This panel featured Professor Sheri Berman of Barnard College, Professor Ian Shapiro of Yale University, and Professor Luigi Zingales of the University of Chicago. The panel was chaired by Professor Stephanie Rickard of the LSE Department of Government.
Contributors: Professor Sheri Berman (Barnard College), Professor Ian Shapiro (Yale University), Professor Luigi Zingales (University of Chicago), Professor Stephanie Rickard (LSE)

Oct 9, 2023 • 51min
LSE: The Ballpark | The Birth Lottery of History with Professor Robert Sampson
Contributor(s): Professor Robert Sampson, Chris Gilson | In June 2023, the Phelan US Centre spoke with Robert J. Sampson the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard University about his new study, The Birth Lottery of History. This study followed over 1,000 Americans over 23 years and looks at the effects on different age cohorts of the social transformation of crime, punishment, and inequality over the last three decades.
This Extra Inning was produced by Chris Gilson, Mohid Malik, and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Robert J. Sampson (Harvard University)

Aug 28, 2023 • 60min
LSE: The Ballpark | The Kennedy Withdrawal with Professor Marc Selverstone
Contributor(s): Chris Gilson, Mohid Rehman Malik, Marc Selverstone | In December 2022, the Phelan US Centre’s Chris Gilson and Mohid Malik spoke to Marc Selverstone, Associate Professor in Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Centre of Public Affairs, and chair of the Miller Center's Presidential Recordings programme, about his new book, The Kennedy Withdrawal Camelot and the American Commitment to Vietnam. They discussed the factors that shaped President Kennedy’s views on Vietnam, the relationship between Kennedy and his Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, and their views on a potential withdrawal from Vietnam, and the usefulness of White House recordings to academics and historians.
This Extra Inning was produced by Chris Gilson, Mohid Malik, and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Professor Marc Selverstone (University of Virginia), Chris Gilson (Phelan US Centre), Mohid Rehman Malik (Phelan US Centre)

Aug 21, 2023 • 48min
LSE: The Ballpark | Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries with Professor Pranab Bardhan
Contributor(s): Professor Pranab Bardhan, Mohid Rehman Malik | In May 2023, the Phelan US Centre’s Mohid Malik spoke to Pranab Bardhan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. In this Extra Inning podcast, they discussed the argument put forward in Professor Bardhan’s 2022 book, A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries. Their conversation explored the future of democratic governance as it confronts majoritarian politics throughout the world.
This Extra Inning was produced by Mohid Malik and Anderson Tan.
Contributors: Professor Pranab Bardhan (University of California), Mohid Rehman Malik (LSE Phelan US Centre)

Aug 14, 2023 • 55min
Climate Change: America and the World – Episode 6: The Future of Climate Change Politics in America
Contributor(s): Professor Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, Mohid Rehman Malik, Beth Gardiner | This episode examines current trends in American politics in implementing policies to address climate change. Dr Bromley-Trujillo (Christopher Newport University) and environmental journalist Beth Gardiner (author of Choked Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution) discuss the impacts of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and whether a Green New-Deal could be possible in the future. This episode finishes off the 6-part climate change series, Climate Change: America and the World by looking at ways we can protect our planet from environmental decay.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik, Anderson Tan, and Chris Gilson.
Contributors: Dr Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo (Christopher Newport University), Beth Gardiner (Environmental Journalist), and Mohid Rehman Malik (Phelan US Centre)