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PODCAST

Cheap Talk

Jeff Kaplow and Marcus Holmes

Cheap Talk is an every-week-or-so international relations podcast with Jeff Kaplow and Marcus Holmes, professors of government at William & Mary.

government news commentary

All Episodes

00:57:28

An Olfactory Device

Cheap Talk ·

2025/03/23

Trip report from the 2025 International Studies Association Annual Conference; the reasons to attend academic conferences; whether diplomats will embrace virtual reality diplomacy; the usefulness of AI in diplomacy; teaching people to use AI; and Marcus goes out for deep dish pizzaThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be

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00:44:39

When Face-to-Face Diplomacy Attacks

Cheap Talk ·

2025/03/10

The disastrous return of face-to-face diplomacy between Trump and Zelensky; the ambush theory of international diplomacy; should this meeting have been an email; a stark signal to Europe and other allies; and Marcus’ rooms have feelsThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please

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00:46:12

Gulf of Cheap Talk

Cheap Talk ·

2025/03/02

Five things we did this week; small signs of pushback against Elon Musk; foreign policy implications of DOGE; security risks from merging government computer systems; efficiency vs. other priorities in government; what’s in a place name; the fleeting nature of place names in a digital world; maps as arbiters of truth; Mapquest does not care; and Marcus’ rose is off the budThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William &

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00:45:23

Maybe Fun Is the Wrong Word

Cheap Talk ·

2025/02/20

A bad week for Ukraine and transatlantic relations; Trump’s mini-feud with Zelensky; a bargaining approach to the question of whether Zelensky could have avoided war; the return of spheres of influence; reassuring words from Vladimir Putin; Europe’s appetite for securing a post-conflict Ukraine; and Marcus embraces rationalismThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts,

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00:49:58

Not Yet on Administrative Leave

Cheap Talk ·

2025/02/14

The Trump administration’s early moves and their implications for US foreign policy; hollowing out expertise in the civil service; the loss of USAID; Trump’s designs on the Gaza Strip; tough signals to Ukraine on upcoming negotiations; and Marcus is already working on the op-edThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be

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00:53:25

The Empty Shell of Bed Bath & Beyond

Cheap Talk ·

2025/02/01

Pandas are back in our nation’s capital; DeepSeek challenges the AI status quo; TikTok remains in legal limbo; how TikTok is like Bed Bath & Beyond; and Marcus is always up for a little China talkThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or

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00:39:07

Just a Big Real Estate Deal

Cheap Talk ·

2025/01/26

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!

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01:02:29

Dishwasher and Microwave Safe

Cheap Talk ·

2024/12/07

New products (and discounts!) in the Cheap Talk online store at cheaptalk.shop; heterarchy in international relations; rebel advances in Syria; continuing popular protests in Georgia; the German Chancellor visits Ukraine; and Marcus hates hand-washing coffee mugsThe Cheap Talk store has been restocked with new t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers, perfect for the IR enthusiast in your life. All new designs are on sale for a limited time. Order before 12/16 with expedited shipping to receive your

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01:01:32

Live From Williamsburg

Cheap Talk ·

2024/11/27

Cheap Talk records live from Williamsburg, Virginia with the students of William & Mary’s Government 204 course, Introduction to International Politics, answering questions about Ukraine, face-to-face diplomacy, the international relations paradigms, North Korea, and more; and Marcus had a good time(Our apologies for some audio issues this week—we hope you enjoy the podcast anyway. We will be back with our usual crystal clear audio next time.)The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our

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00:46:17

Your Board Game Journey

Cheap Talk ·

2024/11/20

Moritz Graefrath joins Cheap Talk to discuss the new international relations board game World Order; the role of IR theory in the design of the game; how board games can teach us about the world; the state of board games today; some recommendations for getting started in gaming; and Marcus doesn’t play board gamesMoritz Graefrath is a Security and Foreign Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute. He is an academic advisor for the new board game World Order,

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00:55:46

We're Doing This Again

Cheap Talk ·

2024/11/15

What to expect from the new Trump administration’s foreign policy; uncertainty about Trump’s foreign policy views; new risks for Ukraine; fewer limits on Israeli action in the Middle East; tariffs and trade barriers with China; poor prospects for cooperative efforts on climate change; hope for a new deal with North Korea but worries about South Korean security; the important role of foreign policy professionals in government; and Marcus will allow an opening statement if he gets a rebuttalThe

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00:50:53

That Guy Knows Democracy

Cheap Talk ·

2024/11/01

Dan Maliniak joins Cheap Talk to discuss the recent elections in the country of Georgia; evidence of irregularities; how much of this is Russia’s fault; European identity in Georgia; the path forward from here; the little-known fact that wine started in Georgia; what the US can do; and Marcus is a big Dave Matthews Band guyDan Maliniak is an associate professor of government at W&M. Check out his research on Google Scholar.The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not

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00:40:54

Go Forth and Be More Cautious

Cheap Talk ·

2024/10/19

The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to atomic bomb survivors; the importance of living memory in international relations; the policy effect of first-person testimony; living through history and thus not repeating it; how society collectively understands history; and Marcus is not actually undecidedThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of

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01:04:52

The Dream World You’re Living In

Cheap Talk ·

2024/10/11

How long it would take for Iran to have a nuclear weapon; where these estimates come from; Iran’s strategy of nuclear hedging; why the Iran deal failed and the prospects for nuclear diplomacy; Israel’s ability to strike Iran’s nuclear program; NotebookLM and the arrival of AI podcasts; and Marcus is pretty sure he’s human and not AI The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple

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01:05:27

Twist the Logic in Knots

Cheap Talk ·

2024/10/03

The chain of events that led to Israel’s attacks against Hezbollah; what could lead to a cessation of hostilities; Iran’s attack on Israel and Israel’s possible response; calls for Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear program; the folly of “restoring deterrence” in the Middle East; diminished US leverage; and Marcus is still undecidedThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple

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01:05:30

A Time of Intense Difficulty or Anger

Cheap Talk ·

2024/09/27

Israel’s aims in its attacks on Hezbollah; Iran’s role in the current conflict; what is a crisis, really; the US perspective; how to get to a ceasefire from here; OpenAI’s new ChatGPT model; evaluating model risk; deceptive alignment; and Marcus is still an AI optimistThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified

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00:55:47

A Big Thing When I Was in High School

Cheap Talk ·

2024/09/19

The exploding pager attacks in Lebanon; the use of pagers as communications infrastructure; supply chain vulnerabilities; the supposed safety of outdated technology; Israeli motivations for the attacks; the risk of escalation in the Middle East; and Marcus consults a focus groupThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be

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01:04:03

Balloons are Back

Cheap Talk ·

2024/09/13

Trash balloons on the Korean Peninsula; unification policy and public diplomacy; checking in on anarchy in the international system; why there isn’t a world government; reasons to study (or ignore) international relations paradigms; the importance of thinking big thoughts in IR; and Marcus reveals he is anti-scienceThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or

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01:09:29

Now it's not a secret, is it?

Cheap Talk ·

2024/09/02

Cheap Talk makes a triumphant return for its 5th season: sauna diplomacy; what Olympic medal counts say about international prestige; our new secret nuclear plan; transparency and nuclear deterrence; Ukraine’s Kursk offensive; political vs. military goals in Ukraine; US restrictions on Ukraine’s military efforts; and Marcus discovers long-standing concepts in international relationsPlease subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new

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00:51:29

A Couple of Non-Sports News Stories

Cheap Talk ·

2024/07/30

The foreign policy implications of recent US news; a bad day for Vladimir Putin; Harris’ likely foreign policy; the role of the Vice President in international affairs; assassination attempts as a signal of vulnerability; international norms against assassination; and Marcus is keeping up with the newsWe will be recording at a slightly slower pace over the summer. Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are

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112 results

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