Economist Podcasts

Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a group of maximum security prisoners in Sing Sing offer a vision of how to get back on track?

Guests and Hosts
John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
Sean Pica, executive director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison
Jean Frantz, prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility

Topics
Alexis de Tocqueville’s views on voluntary associations
Sing Sing prison education programme
Prisoners’ views on the American dream

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John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump.

His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville, author of arguably the best book ever written about America.

When Tocqueville arrived in New York in 1831, it was a small, low-slung city where pigs roamed the streets. But he was able to see past that—to a vision of the future.

Arriving in Manhattan today, John finds cause for concern, even among the island’s wealthiest residents.

Guests and Hosts

John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
Babara Tober, Philanthropist and former Editor of Brides magazine
John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Group

Topics

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
‘Equality of conditions’ at 250
The election of Zohran Mamdani
Declining faith in American democracy

To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international spectacle to draw attention to their causes. Commercial enterprises are on the cusp of making money in space: who will tax the heavens? And Narendra Modi is unsettling India’s middle class.

Guests and host:
Hal Hodson, Americas editor
Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
Leo Mirani, Ashoka columnist
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:
World Cup, Mexico, protests
Space, taxation, global commons
India, Modi

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

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Nearly two centuries ago, a French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville went on a trip around America and wrote up his findings in a book called Democracy in America. Many people still think it’s the most insightful thing ever written about the country. John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, is one of them.

Tocqueville found Americans' faith in freedom and self-improvement exhilariting—he was the first foreigner to foresee how this new society would change the world. On America’s 250th birthday, John Prideaux sets out on a road trip of his own, following Tocqueville's footsteps from New York to Michigan to Washington, to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville endures in Trump’s America.

Launching in June
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The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent embeds on a US nuclear submarine to find out how China and Russia are vying for dominance in the Pacific. And what anti-ageing products actually work?

Guests and host:
Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor
Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
Ainslie Johnstone, science correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:
Immigration, Britain, asylum
Submarines, Pacific, geopolitics
Ageing, wrinkles, retinoids, peptides

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.