Podcast
The American Idea
Hosted by Ashbrook Center · EN
The American Idea explores America's history and principles and what they mean today. The podcast is a production of the Ashbrook Center and hosted by Dr. Jeff Sikkenga.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Voting Rights Act and the Callais Supreme Court Decision - Context and Analysis
1w ago00:39:47Tap to summarizeThe United States Supreme Court handed down its decision on Louisiana v. Callais in early May, and it’s impossible to understand this 6-3 ruling without having some background knowledge of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and how courts between then and now have interpreted it. Don’t get lost in the political rhetoric surrounding this case; learn the background for yourself and make up your own mind.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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School Choice: The Past, Present, and Future of a Movement
2w ago00:47:31Tap to summarizeSchool choice has moved to the forefront of national conversations and debates most notably since COVID; however the ‘educational choice’ movement is not new in America at all.Jeff is joined by Shaka Mitchell, Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, to trace the history of school choice and schooling in America, drawing clear policy, political, and cultural connections between what was, what has been, and what is ‘normal’ now, and how that’s changing.You can follow Shaka on his Substack: https://shakamitchell.substack.com/Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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"Mischievous Cousins' - A British Perspective on the American Revolution
3w ago00:37:15Tap to summarizeWhat’s taught in British schools about the American Revolution? How are Americans’ motivations during the Founding understood by our ‘cousins’ on the other side of the Atlantic? Jeff discusses the fascinating history of British history and perspectives on America with Liam Heffernan, host of America: The Story of the USA, a British podcast that seeks to explain American to the British.You can find Liam's pod at https://tinyurl.com/puysecxpHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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From 1776 to Civil Rights: How the Declaration Shaped the Struggle for Equality
4w ago00:52:03Tap to summarizeThe Abolition and Civil Rights movements are often presented as solutions to the failures of the American Founding, or replacements for its ideas. The relationship between the core ideas of America, as asserted in the Declaration of Independence and those of these two movements is complicated and has evolved over time. As we approach our 250th birthday, let’s take a look at how the Declaration is, in fact, the moral and intellectual foundation of both abolition and civil rights.Jeff is joined by Dr. Peter Myers, Professor of Political Science and expert in the politics of abolition and civil rights.Read Peter's book on Douglass: https://a.co/d/0b1TiSI3Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonOn Apple Podcasts: https://tr.ee/aTARALr9GxOn Spotify: https://tr.ee/09Ca21CCp-On iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-american-idea-119582945/
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Ronald Reagan and the Declaration of Independence
Apr 2900:43:57Tap to summarizeAbraham Lincoln once asserted that all of his political philosophy was rooted in the Declaration of Independence. Other presidents have spoken positively about our founding document, and some have disparaged the ideas promoted in it. What about Ronald Reagan? Where did he stand on the Declaration’s core ideas of natural rights, limited government, and liberty?Jeff is joined by Greg McBrayer, who looks back on decades of speeches from Reagan in order to establish a clear connection between the principles of our 40th president and America’s original mission statement.Read Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing”: https://tinyurl.com/btvr8mu9Read Reagan’s 1986 Independence Day speech: https://tinyurl.com/ycyfvnkaRead Reagan’s Farewell Address: https://tinyurl.com/mu92b545Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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From Madison to Modern Politics: The Separation of Powers Debate
Apr 2100:38:35Tap to summarizeThis episode examines the constitutional principle of separation of powers: what it is, why the American founders considered it essential to liberty, and how it works in practice through checks and balances. The conversation explores the distinct roles of Congress, the presidency, and the courts, and then turns to major controversies that continue to shape American government, including executive removal power, independent agencies, and war powers. The result is a clear discussion of why separation of powers remains one of the most important and contested features of the American constitutional order.Download the Separation of Powers documents collection for free: https://tinyurl.com/mr3274xxHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Prevent World War III
Apr 1500:38:40Tap to summarizeJeff is joined by Palantir Technologies Development Strategist and author Madeline Hart to discuss her book, co-authored with Palantir’s CTO, about what’s wrong with America’s military industrial base, how we got here, and what we can do to fix this vital part of our national defense.Read about Madeline’s book: https://mobilizebook.com/Get the book: https://a.co/d/0ikuJ5tbHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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Missouri v. Biden: Free Speech, Coercion, and Government Power
Apr 800:29:55Tap to summarizeThe First Amendment’s free speech clause is meant to protect Americans against government abridgment of free expression. How does this apply to social media companies when they are subjected to both formal and informal pressure from members of a president’s inner circle?Although a narrow ruling, MO v. Biden makes clear the relevance of free speech, regardless of the state of technology at a given time in our history.Read NCLA’s press release: https://nclalegal.org/press_release/ncla-reaches-historic-settlement-strikes-major-blow-against-governments-social-media-censorship/Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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Natural Rights: The Declaration's Central Claim
Apr 100:37:00Tap to summarizeWhat are natural rights, and why, without them, are the ideas in the Declaration of Independence empty without them?Americans talk a lot about rights, but natural rights are the foundation of them all, and all the Declaration’s assertions and ideals flow from them. Jeff discusses what they are, how they relate to government, and why the are at the core of what Jefferson called ‘the American mind.”Download the 50 Core Documents book mentioned in the episode for free: https://tinyurl.com/yckez9c3Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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The Causes and Politics of Financial Bubbles
Mar 2500:42:18Tap to summarizeWhat is a financial bubble, and what are its causes? What are the political, as well as economic, impacts of these events? Jeff welcomes investment capital expert Aman Verjee to discuss these events, and the role they’ve played throughout history. You’ll learn not only a great deal more about what really caused the stock market crash of 1929, but how it compares to a tulip sales bubble (yes, tulips) in the Netherlands in the 1600s.Read Aman’s new book about the topic: https://www.amanverjee.com/the-bookHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
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