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America Explained is a podcast about American politics, foreign policy & culture for an international audience. Every fortnight it brings you the voices and perspectives shaping America - and its impact on the world - today. Hosted by historian and columnist Andy Gawthorpe, each fortnightly episode features analysis and interviews which help you understand a key issue in a way the regular news cycle never will. If something really big happens in-between, we’ll drop a bonus episode to keep yo ...
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From the archive: When Israel wasn't a U.S. ally
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Nowadays we're used to the idea that America will stick by Israel almost no matter what. But American policymakers didn't always view Israel as an ally or a strategic asset for the United States. On the anniversary of the partition of Palestine by the United Nations - an event which s…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** What's the relationship between U.S.-China competition, and the global struggle against climate change? Andy explores how the former is making the latter harder. Credits Host - Andy GawthorpeBy Andy Gawthorpe
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** In the first of a series, Andy gives explainers on U.S. swing states. Up first is Arizona, whose identity and politics are very different to the Midwestern states which people usually have in mind when they think about the most hotly-contested states. It's also a place where the big i…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Andy and Catherine talk about Trump's trial in New York, and whether there's any real chance of him going to jail before the November election. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe Co-host - Catherine WoodBy Andy Gawthorpe
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From the archive: Iran, the U.S., and the bomb
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** In this episode I spoke to Gregory Brew, deputy editor of the Texas National Security Review and a historian of U.S.-Iranian relations, about U.S. relations…
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The Supreme Court is more complicated than you think
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Andy and Catherine go over some lesser-known and surprising recent Supreme Court decisions covering democracy, animal rights, and Native affairs. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe Co-host - Catherine WoodBy Andy Gawthorpe
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Nowadays we're used to the idea that antagonism exists between the West and China, but we don't often pause to consider that this antagonism long predates China's rising economic and military power. Our guest today, Professor Jeffrey Crean from Tyler Junior College in Texas, is someon…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** In this special 100th episode of America Explained, Andy zooms out to look at what happened in the four years since the podcast launched to bring us back to this moment - one in which Donald Trump could once again become president of the United States. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** In this episode, Andy is joined by Martijn to talk about the hold-up in getting aid for Ukraine through the House of Representatives. How is it that Speaker Mike Johnson can single-handedly hold up this aid? And will Ukraine eventually get it? Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe Co-host - M…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** In this special episode, Andy is interviewed by Phil Dobbie and Roger Herring of The Why Curve podcast about how Europe should prepare for a second Trump presidency. We talked about trade, alliances and democracy, as well as how Trump's re-election might lead to an undignified scrambl…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** The border is the big news in America right now. The Biden administration has embraced a hard-right approach to border security - but Republicans in Congress won't pass it because they want the president to look bad. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking the law into his own…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Donald Trump has won early primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. But the results have highlighted some warning signs for his campaign. Plus, Ron DeSantis is gone. Why was anyone enthusiastic about him in the first place? Andy discusses. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe…
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From the archive: What did the Founders really think?
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*** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** Since our last episode it was the Fourth of July, the holiday that many politicians and commentators like to mark by talking nonsense about the Founding Fathers. In this episode Andy explores all of the ways in which popular debate often gets the Founders wrong, and explains how the founding …
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Merry Christmas!By Andy Gawthorpe
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** In the early days of the conflict in Gaza, the Biden administration called its approach to Israel "hugging them close". But now more and more disagreements are emerging between between the two countries, and hugs don't seem to be working anymore. What does this mean for the rest of th…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Nowadays we're used to the idea that America will stick by Israel almost no matter what. But American policymakers didn't always view Israel as an ally or a strategic asset for the United States. On the anniversary of the partition of Palestine by the United Nations - an event which s…
…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** It's roughly one year until the 2024 presidential election. There have been a host of conflicting signals about what the outcome might be recently - from some terrible polls for Biden to some good state and local election results for Democrats. Andy unpacks what it all means and what …
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From the archive: No, don't invade Mexico
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*** Check out the America Explained newsletter for regular posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** The latest idea floating around in Republican Party circles is that America should invade Mexico to combat drug cartels. Andy explains why they're saying this and how the history …
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Could the U.S. go to war in the Middle East?
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Hamas and Israel are headed for war, and the entire region might get sucked in - along with the United States. In this episode Andy explores how the U.S. is responding to the conflict and how it is affecting American politics and culture Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy just became the first speaker in American history to be voted out of his office. Far from a hapless victim, McCarthy played a key role in radicalizing his own party and making it impossible for anyone to impose order on it. That m…
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** Andy and Catherine explore the roots of today's anti-LGBT panic in the postwar 'Lavendar scare', talk about why conservatives today have chosen to demonize …
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Lewis and Clark and the conquest of the frontier
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** This month is the anniversary of when Lewis and Clark returned from their famous expedition across the North American continent. In popular culture the story is often portrayed as one of brave adventurers overcoming great odds. But what was actually the purpose of their mission? In th…
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*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** *** Trump has been indicted again! Andy talks about why the Georgia indictment is so much more dangerous for Trump than the others, and in the second half of the episode analyzes the current state of the GOP primary. Follow Andy on Twitter for more. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for regular posts on American politics and foreign policy *** Donald Trump faces his third serious criminal indictment this year. Andy breaks down Special Counsel Jack Smith's legal strategy and the problems it might face. Follow Andy on Twitter for more. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for regular posts on American politics and foreign policy *** When we think of America, one of the first images that comes to mind are often a neat row of suburban houses, or long highways stretching into the distance. But how did those pictures come about, and what about the people who got left o…
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*** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** Since our last episode it was the Fourth of July, the holiday that many politicians and commentators like to mark by talking nonsense about the Founding Fathers. In this episode Andy explores all of the ways in which popular debate often gets the Founders wrong, and explains how the founding …
…
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*** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter using the following link: https://amerex.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=d5d87848 *** For a few hours last Saturday, as mutinous Russian soldiers marched towards Moscow, it seemed like we were on the brink of entering a radically changed world. In the end the crisis passed, but only by ushering in …
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*** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter using the following link: https://amerex.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=d5d87848 *** Trump has been indicted - again! But the trial might never take place before next year's election, and after that Trump could pardon himself. Andy unpacks why what Trump is alleged to have won is so bad but why he…
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From the archive: Why liberals can't tell stories
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** The most successful politicians are often the most successful storytellers. Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan - they all excelled at telling sp…
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From the archive: Primaries: what's the deal?
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*** Check out the America Explained newsletter for regular posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** It always seems to be election season in America, and one reason is the system of primary elections, in which each party picks its candidate before the general election. But why d…
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*** Check out the America Explained newsletter for regular posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** For a long time, Ron DeSantis has been discussed as the only person who could beat Trump to the Republican presidential nomination. Now his star is falling and the possibility of …
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*** Check out the America Explained newsletter for regular posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** The latest idea floating around in Republican Party circles is that America should invade Mexico to combat drug cartels. Andy explains why they're saying this and how the history …
…
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** Andy and Catherine explore the roots of today's anti-LGBT panic in the postwar 'Lavendar scare', talk about why conservatives today have chosen to demonize …
…
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** Donald Trump has been indicted and will surrender himself to authorities next Tuesday. Who has the worst takes about the news, and what are the implications…
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From the archive: The not-so-special relationship
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*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ *** The British relationship with America has long been known, at least in Britain, as "the special relationship". But the election of Joe Biden has the British…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In the last few months, Biden has launched an aggressive effort to cripple the Chinese semiconductor industry, a Chinese spy balloon has floated across America, and Beijing has allegedly been preparing to provide arms to Russia to…
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From the archive: AI and the future of warfare
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for occasional written posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam *** How might artificial intelligence change the nature of warfare, and what political and ethical dilemmas does it pose in civilian society? Nowadays popular culture is full of speculation about t…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** When we think of America, one of the first images that comes to mind are often a neat row of suburban houses, or long highways stretching into the distance. But how did those pictures come about, and what about the people who got …
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** Politics started early this year, with tumult in the House of Representatives and President Biden getting a classified document scandal of his own. Andy and Catherine dissect the issues and offer some predictions for how it all mi…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** There is a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, and Republicans in Congress will be working hard to make it a political crisis for the Biden administration in the coming year. But the dirty secret of Biden's immigration pol…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** Merry Christmas from America Explained. Send your episode ideas for the new year: producer@america-explained.com. Follow Andy on Twitter for more. Credits Host - Andy Gawthorpe Researcher, editorial assistant - Catherine Wood…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** The war in Ukraine has shaken up global energy markets and created fears of a seriously bad winter in Europe if temperatures go to low. But although it looks like disaster will be averted this time around, there's still no real pl…
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From the archive: What is intersectionality?
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for occasional written posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam *** Intersectionality and critical race theory have become big issues in American politics in recent years. But watching that "debate" - if we can even call it that - has not been a great way to ge…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** Democrats had one of the best midterm showings of the postwar era. In this episode, Andy explains how Joe Biden's strategy of reaching out to independent and even right-wing voters has been vindicated. He also talks about what's n…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In this episode, Andy and Catherine discuss next week's midterms. We talk about the current polls and why they seem to have got worse for the Democrats in the last few weeks, then highlight some important ballot initiatives and ra…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In August, President Biden announced substantial student debt forgiveness. This step has been so long coming - and proven so controversial - because the value and role of education have become deeply contested issues in American c…
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase as Kiev's counteroffensive throws Russia off-balance and raises fears that Moscow might escalate the war to a new level. If the West previously feared that Kiev might quickly collapse, no…
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It always seems to be election season in America, and one reason is the system of primary elections, in which each party picks its candidate before the general election. But why do primaries exist, and are they a good idea? In this episode Andy explores the history of primaries and what impact they have on American politics today. Is there a partic…
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From the archive: Why does the right love Hungary?
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*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for occasional written posts on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam *** The American conservative movement has a strange love affair with Hungary's authoritarian leader Viktor Orban - so much so that recently the biggest annual event in conservative politics will b…
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America Explained is taking a two-week summer break. In the meantime, we want to hear from YOU about what you would like us to cover on the show in the coming year. Let Andy know by writing to him either on Twitter or email: Andy's Twitter profile. Email Andy.By Andy Gawthorpe
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