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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.

education

All Episodes

83:28

The Constitutional Convention was a Four-Act Drama

The American Idea ·

2025/09/17

Discover how 55 delegates created the U.S. Constitution in just 88 days during the summer of 1787. Constitutional scholar Gordon Lloyd breaks down the Philadelphia Convention using his acclaimed "four-act drama" framework, revealing the behind-the-scenes negotiations, heated debates, and crucial compromises that shaped American government.What You'll Learn:✓ How Madison's Virginia Plan clashed with the New Jersey Plan✓ The Connecticut Compromise that balanced state vs. popular representation✓ Why

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50:23

The American Way of War

The American Idea ·

2025/09/10

This episode explores James Ellman's book "Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War" with host Jeff Sikkenga from the Ashbrook Center. This military strategy documentary examines how US war tactics follow a consistent pattern: initial strategic defeats followed by rapid adaptation and ultimate victory. From Washington's military disasters in New York (1776) to early setbacks in Korea, American military history shows eight major strategic defeats between 1776-1951, yet US forces

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32:22

What are Capital Markets and How Do They Impact Our...

The American Idea ·

2025/09/03

You hear about them in the news, but how much do you know about capital markets - what they are, why they exist, how they've evolved over time, and what role the play in our economy and politics? Jeff discusses these in plain language with Bob Selvaggio, Head of Analytics at Rutter Associates. Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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39:42

Old Man Eloquent: The Life and Letters of John Quincy...

The American Idea ·

2025/08/27

Jeff welcomes Michael Lucchese, Editor of Law & Liberty, to discuss the life, accomplishments, and ideas of John Quincy Adams - a man whose public life was almost his entire life.Read more about him: https://www.loa.org/writers/672-john-quincy-adams/Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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43:52

Frederick Douglass's Constitutional Abolitionism

The American Idea ·

2025/08/20

Jeff and BYU law professor Bradley Rebeiro discuss Frederick Douglass’s understanding of the Constitution, and how he came to view it as an anti-slavery document, using it to promote abolition.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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33:59

The End of World War 2 in the Pacific: VJ Day at 80...

The American Idea ·

2025/08/13

14 August 1945: VJ Day, and with the end of fighting in the Pacific and Japan's surrender, World War 2 finally comes to an end. Dr. John Moser is joined today by author and historian Walter Borneman to discuss how and why the war ended when it did, and how that ending shaped the decades to come, and, indeed, our world today in political and strategic terms. Read Walt's book, The Admirals, and learn more about WW2 in the Pacific - you can find his books on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/393nme37 #ww2

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56:58

"A Most Fearful Evil" - What is the National Debt and...

The American Idea ·

2025/08/06

What is the national debt? To whom or what does the U.S. government owe all this money? What does it mean to you today, your children and grandchildren tomorrow, and for the continued health of American political and economics institutions and norms?Jeff discusses all these issues and more with Dr. Rob Wyllie, Professor of Political Economy.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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40:32

Mercy Otis Warren - America's Forgotten Founding...

The American Idea ·

2025/07/30

Mercy Otis Warren not only wrote one of the first comprehensive histories of the American Revolution, she was also a leading Antifederalist thinker - and yet she is overlooked in most conventional histories of the era today. What makes her important and memorable? What can we learn from her today?Join Dr. Cara Rogers Stevens this week as she discusses this important American Founder with Brenda Hafera, Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy

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36:39

Not the Arbiter of Truth - America's Complicated...

The American Idea ·

2025/07/23

American press freedom has never followed a straight path. The Founding Fathers envisioned newspapers as partisan political weapons, not neutral truth-tellers. This "messy" approach let citizens decide truth for themselves rather than accepting government-approved narratives. Today's concerns about partisan media miss the point—embracing partisanship may produce healthier discourse than enforcing artificial neutrality. The real danger lies in government attempts to regulate speech through

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43:56

Inside the Reagan White House: A Conversation with...

The American Idea ·

2025/07/16

Jeff discusses the inner workings of the Reagan White House with former AMB Frank Lavin, who had a front-row seat to many of Reagan’s key decisions and actions while president. Get to know Reagan as both a person and a leader; and read Frank’s book on the topic, linked below.Amazon link: https://a.co/d/fRQPTshHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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39:58

2025 United States Supreme Court Decisions -...

The American Idea ·

2025/07/09

Jeff is joined by constitutional law scholar Dr. Joshua Dunn to discuss the recently ended 2025 US Supreme Court term and some of the more interesting and potentially important decisions, as well as what seem like some friction between some of the justices.Get a free copy of Josh’s primary documents reader about the Judiciary: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/product/the-judiciary/Get a free copy of Jeff’s primary documents reader about the Supreme Court:

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16:09

America's First Core Document - The Declaration of...

The American Idea ·

2025/07/02

In celebration of the 249th anniversary of America's independence, we look back not so much on the history of the Declaration of Independence, but on its meaning. And not just its meaning then, but its enduring meaning and what we can and should take from it now.This special episode contains the content of the first of three classes within our free, self-paced online course, "The American Idea." If you enroll, you can listen to thoughtful discussions of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's

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49:41

All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed...

The American Idea ·

2025/06/25

Presidents are people, too, and fallible, short-sighted, disciplined, daring - and all the other traits we humans share. How have our presidents handled, or mishandled, their own money? What can we learn from them now?Cara Rogers Stevens welcomes author and wealth management expert Megan Gorman to this show this week to discuss some of the highs and lows of presidential personal finance.Read Megan's book on the topic: https://a.co/d/faRlCmTHost: Cara Rogers StevensExecutive Producer: Jeremy

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42:12

Sir William Blackstone's Influence on the American...

The American Idea ·

2025/06/18

Who was William Blackstone? What did he contribute to English law, and how did his contributions directly impact the ideas in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution? How is it that a British noble who opposed the American Revolution ended up serving as a major source of inspiration to the American Founders? Learn the details from this episode of The American Idea.#blackstone #williamblackstone #commonlaw #americanfounding Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe:

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45:40

Why and How Did Slaveholders Oppose Free Speech?

The American Idea ·

2025/06/10

Americans have faced, unfortunately, a number of movements and moments in our history where free speech - especially of a political nature - has been challenged and even quashed. Power-wielding opponents of free expression and debate have often sought to prevent debates and discussions from happening, in order to protect their interests. In this week's episode we explore a lesser-known example of this, in how slaveholders before the Civil War deliberately worked to deny free speech to both whites

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42:06

Paul Nitze - America's Cold Warrior

The American Idea ·

2025/06/04

Paul Nitze served under eight different U.S. presidents, from during World War 2 through the end of the Cold War, and it was his thinking, laid down in NSC-68, that provided some of the most foundational ideas for how America dealt with the Soviet Union, eventually bringing about its collapse.This week Jeff welcomes State Department historian and author James Graham Wilson to discuss Nitze, and his book about the man.Read the book: https://a.co/d/eV0zC2ORead NSC-68: https://tinyurl.com/bdz8zmsm#cold

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35:19

The Extinction of Experience - Reclaiming Our...

The American Idea ·

2025/05/28

Technology, especially social media and the near ubiquity of mobile devices, has changed our world, our personal lives, and interpersonal relations. A great many people are waking up to the mountain of evidence suggesting that this change has not been all, or even mostly, for the better. American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow and author Christine Rosen joins Jeff this week to discuss the impact of technology and our supposedly "connected" world this week. If you're concerned about human

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43:52

America's Place in the World - Empire, Neighbor, or...

The American Idea ·

2025/05/21

What is America’s place in the world, and how have Americans understood where we as a country ought to be when it comes to world affairs and in relations with other countries? Should we be an “empire of liberty,” as Jefferson called the country? Should we avoid “entangling alliances” as Washington warned? Should we eagerly send our troops, promises, and money overseas, as has been the standard since World War 2? How do interest and morality, if there is such a thing in international affairs, play a

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44:26

Trump, Trade, and Tariffs - Historical Background and...

The American Idea ·

2025/05/14

Tariffs, seemingly a relic of the 18th and 19th centuries, are back on the front page as tools of policy, with wide-reaching impacts on America's economy and Americans as individuals. What's the history behind tariffs as tools of policy, and how have American leaders understood and used them differently over time? Political Economist Rob Wyllie joins Jeff for this timely explanation of the background and history of tariffs, as well as a healthy dose of analysis and even some forecasts related to

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42:53

VE Day at 80 Years - The End of WW2 in Europe

The American Idea ·

2025/05/07

8 May 1945: Victory in Europe Day, the day after the armistice between the Allied powers and Nazi Germany goes into effect. Almost 5 years long, World War 2 in Europe destroyed millions of lives, burned ancient cities to cinders, displaced populations, and permanently changed the world order.How, then, did it come to end? How did the Allies defeat the Nazis, and why did the war end when it did? What issues led the world from war to Cold War in only a few years, turning supposed allies against one

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