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PODCAST

The American Idea

Ashbrook Center

The American Idea explores America"s Founding principles and their effect on American history and government. Through thoughtful conversations with renowned academics and public figures from across the country, we examine the history and political thought behind our country’s greatest documents and debates, as well as contemporary issues, American popular culture, and political statesmanship. The podcast is a production of the Ashbrook Center and hosted by Jeff Sikkenga.

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All Episodes

58:49

Contemporary Conversations: War in Ukraine

The American Idea ·

2023/04/26

Jeff is joined by Rebeccah Heinrichs, Senior Fellow and director of the Keystone Defense Initiative to discuss the war in Ukraine, its strategic importance, how American and NATO policy has played out since the invasion in early 2022, and how it fits into questions of global security. This live episode of The American Idea had questions from attendees, and provides both background and analysis of the war. Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts:

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60:35

Born American, But in the Wrong Place

The American Idea ·

2023/04/24

Peter Schramm, whose family escaped Communist Hungary during the 1950s, moved to America, were his family worked out their version of the American Dream like so many immigrants before and after them, Peter, without realizing it in his early years, learned not only what it was to be an American, but became fully American in the process. He went on to great academic and professional accolades, settling eventually in rural Ohio, where he spent his last years teaching young Americans what he'd learned,

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43:54

Documents and Debates: Stories from the American...

The American Idea ·

2023/04/19

Jeff and Rob McDonald discuss several interesting - and little-known - stories of individuals from the American Revolution, men and women, patriots and loyalists, in this episode marking the anniversary of the battles at Lexington and Concord.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzRSS Feed:

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29:47

Documents & Debates: Remember the Alamo!

The American Idea ·

2023/04/12

Jeff and Dan Monroe discuss Texas history, independence and annexation, and the Mexican-American War while meeting for Ashbrook's Director's Club Weekend in San Antonio, Texas, in March 2023. Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzRSS Feed: https://tinyurl.com/2p9u2bvePodvine:

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49:14

Documents & Debates: The Legacy of the Progressives

The American Idea ·

2023/04/05

Jeff Sikkenga and Jason Jividen discuss the animating ideas and issus of the original Progressives, and their views on - and in many ways rejection of - the principles of the American Founding. Tracing the history of the Progressives, they also discuss contemporary examples of this movement, and what they mean to America today.Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzRSS

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44:17

Documents & Debates: Ronald Reagan and the End of the...

The American Idea ·

2023/03/29

Jeff discusses Ronald Reagan’s efforts to peacefully end the Cold War with Will Inboden, Director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. Containment and detente were frameworks that Reagan inherited; however, they both aimed to preserve the status quo with the USSR instead of rolling back Communist gains. Reagan’s view was that the Soviets were taking advantage of this approach, and instead saw the USSR not as a partner to accept and manage, but a cancer to

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54:40

Contemporary Conversations: Censorship and Banned Books

The American Idea ·

2023/03/22

Jeff and Flagg Taylor, of Skidmore College, discuss the thorny topic of censorship and its two main forms, that from the government, and that coming from individuals. Starting with a deep discussion of Soviet Russia’s totalitarian approach to what is acceptable literature and speech, they move through a history of limitations on speech, and what the last century of this can mean for us today, and the “cancel culture” moment we are enduring.Give a listen to Flagg’s podcast, Enduring Interest, where

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41:04

American Portraits: The Western in American Political...

The American Idea ·

2023/03/15

Jeff and Chris Burkett discuss the unique place of the Western, as presented in literature and film, in American political culture. There's a lot more to the genre than gunfighters, wagon trains, and Monument Valley, as all enduring storytelling genres reflect, in some way, the cultures from which they originate. In addition to thoughtful and lively discussion, Chris offers suggestions for classic Western films and television shows.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy

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40:00

Contemporary Conversations: The 1619 Project and...

The American Idea ·

2023/03/08

Jeff and Miles Smith IV discuss the 1619 Project and why it’s poorly-done as a piece of history and that in fact, it’s not history and should not be treated as such. Jeff and Miles discuss the importance of using primary sources - especially documents - in determining what happened in history, instead of starting with a conclusion and then, essentially, cherry-picking only what supports that conclusion; this is where 1619 goes so very wrong.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg

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49:36

Contemporary Conversations: War with China?

The American Idea ·

2023/03/01

Jeff sits down with Rebeccah Heinrichs, an authority on national security issues, to discuss the challenge - and even threat - that the Chinese Communist Party presents to the United States and the world. Unpacking decades of policy mistakes and wishful thinking of Western countries, along with the longterm view of the CCP and its commitment to Marxist-Leninist ideology, Rebecca helps make sense of why the CCP is such a threat - no longer a competitor, but truly an adversary. She also offers some

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38:16

Documents and Debates: The President and the Freedom...

The American Idea ·

2023/02/22

Jeff and Brian Kilmeade discuss his book, The President and the Freedom Fighter, and the central role Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass played in “saving America’s soul.” Both were self-made men, who never stopped striving to become men of worth, doing things that needed to be done to help America live up to its greatest ideals, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.Check out Brian's book here - it's a great read.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy

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56:24

American Portraits: Ulysses S. Grant

The American Idea ·

2023/02/15

Jeff talks with Dr. Andy Lang about U.S. Grant - as a soldier, general, and president. Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzPodvine: https://podvine.com/podcast/the-american-ideaYouTube: https://tinyurl.com/3wwdre3a

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22:11

American Portraits: Calvin Coolidge

The American Idea ·

2023/02/08

Jeff sits down with Amity Shlaes, Chair of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, to discuss the ideas and importance of Calvin Coolidge, an overlooked and wildly underrated president.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzYouTube: https://tinyurl.com/3wwdre3aPodvine:

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39:48

Documents & Debates: War - What's It Good For? The...

The American Idea ·

2023/02/01

Co-host John Moser is joined by Ben Slomski of Ashland University discuss the origins and original understandings of presidential war powers, and how they’ve evolved over time. What did the Founders think? Did they agree on a single description of what war powers, and when a president could act unilaterally? They explore actions by Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, and other presidents, and make connections to contemporary issues, as well.FEB-MAR 2023 Listener Survey:

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46:24

Contemporary Conversations: January 2023: The New...

The American Idea ·

2023/01/25

Jeff is joined by Joe Postell of Hillsdale College discuss the evolution of Congressional rules processes in light of the recent assumption of the majority by Republicans and the contentious votes over a new Speaker of the House. Learn about the fascinating changes in the Speaker’s powers, and how much more limited Speakers are than we often believe. They also discuss the differences between current norms of Democratic and Republican Party leadership and Congressional activity, and how this has

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65:27

Documents and Debates: American? Or Victim of...

The American Idea ·

2023/01/18

Jeff and Lucas Morel, on this special MLK Day episode, discuss the ideas, actions, and legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X. What were their core philosophies and beliefs? How did their actions reflect these? How did their ideas impact their followers, opponents, and each other? And how did these two men play off and shape each other?You can find Lucas's latest book, Lincoln and the American Founding, on Amazon. The other books mentioned are here:I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches

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57:15

Contemporary Conversations: Back to School and the...

The American Idea ·

2023/01/11

Join Jeff as he Bill McClay discuss the state of American civics education, with an eye toward free expression, what's being taught, and how individuals and families can think through the thorny issue of schooling in 2023.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy Gypton

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46:02

Documents & Debates: The Final Emancipation Proclamation

The American Idea ·

2023/01/04

Jeff is joined by Dr. Jason Stevens of Ashland University and the Ashbrook Scholar program to discuss the 160th anniversary of one of the most important documents in American history. Lacking the eloquence and rhetorical flourish we have come to expect from Lincoln, the Final Emancipation Proclamation’s power isn’t in its wording, but in what it accomplishes: utilizing constitutional authority to free millions of slaves and lay the foundation for the abolishment of the institution itself.Host: Jeff

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57:15

Ronald Reagan and the Fight for Freedom

The American Idea ·

2022/12/28

Jeff sits down with Chris Burkett and Greg McBrayer to discuss Ronald Reagan's famed speech at the Brandenburg Gate on 12 June 1987, in which the president called on Mikhail Gorbachev to "...tear down this wall!" Beyond this, the speech contains numerous examples of Reagan's political philosophy and his respect for individual liberty and human dignity before the state.Read two of the speeches mentioned to supplement the program: "A Time for Choosing", and his Brandenburg Gate Speech.Host: Jeff

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44:36

Truck, Barter, and Exchange: Adam Smith’s Views on...

The American Idea ·

2022/12/21

How can liberal society respond to current demands on economics and society? Smith addresses far more than economics and, in fact, wrote extensively on morality and moral judgments in interpersonal and social relations. What did he believe and what can we learn from him, and from his two books The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and The Wealth of Nations (1776)? Smith posits that moral sentiments are a two-way street, and that we can’t help but, as we interact with others, “feel” with others - to

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210 results

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