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PODCAST

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy

Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Join Dan McCarthy, editor of Modern Age, as he cuts through the noise of today’s politics and draws timeless insights from the great books and enduring traditions that have shaped the West. Each episode offers a principled perspective that links the headlines of today with the permanent things that matter most.

news politics

All Episodes

53:40

EP. 036 - Is America a Nation or an Idea?

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/02/12

Is America a nation like any other, defined by a people, a place, and a shared history? Or is America simply an idea, a creed that anyone can adopt? In this episode, Dan McCarthy challenges the popular notion of the United States as a purely “creedal nation,” arguing that it is a modern innovation and a false alternative to both ethno-nationalism and rooted national identity. Drawing on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the foreign policy arguments of the Federalist Pape...

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56:05

EP. 035 - Why Libertarianism and Traditionalism Keep...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/02/05

If conservatives favor limited government, how limited should it be? In this episode, Dan McCarthy explores that unexpected convergence on the American Right. We revisit the late-20th-century debates between libertarians, paleoconservatives, and neoconservatives over trade, borders, national sovereignty, and the growing power of the federal state and why those arguments are resurfacing today in the New Right. The discussion turns to a deeper question: whether either the market or the ...

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50:37

EP. 033 - Is This the End of the Conservative Era?

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/01/29

Has Donald Trump brought the conservative era to an end, or has he exposed something deeper about what conservatism has been for the past eighty years? Dan McCarthy responds to a recent argument that Trump marks a break with the Reagan, Buckley, and Goldwater tradition. Instead, Dan argues that much of modern conservatism lived in the shadow of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, defined more by opposition than by a full vision of conservative. This episode explores how the New Deal res...

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52:23

EP. 033 - The Left Misunderstands the American...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/01/29

What if the story you’ve been told about the American Revolution is backwards? Dan McCarthy argues that the Founding was not a revolt against law, authority, or order. It was a conservative revolution, aimed at defending inherited rights, lawful government, and constitutional liberty. In today’s protests against immigration enforcement and law enforcement in places like Minneapolis, the Left often claims the mantle of 1776. But the Founders, especially George Washington and John Adams, fear...

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39:38

EP. 032 - The Case for Law Enforcement

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/01/16

A tragic encounter in Minneapolis has reignited national debate over law enforcement, activism, and the rule of law. In this episode, Dan McCarthy examines the killing of Renee Good during an ICE operation and places it in the broader context of post-2020 policing, judicial leniency, and organized efforts to obstruct law enforcement. He explores how activist tactics, sympathetic judges, and political pressure have reshaped enforcement of immigration and criminal law, often with deadly conseq...

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45:19

EP. 031 - Venezuela and the "Donroe" Doctrine

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2026/01/08

Did the capture of Nicolás Maduro mark a return to America’s original foreign policy or a new era of U.S. interventionism? In this episode, we examine the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” and ask whether President Trump’s decisive operation in Venezuela aligns more closely with the Founders’ restrained vision of foreign policy than with the ideological interventionism of the 20th and 21st centuries. By revisiting the Monroe Doctrine and the historical limits America once placed on its use of forc...

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47:43

EP. 030 - After 250 Years, What Does "Created Equal"...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/12/29

As America approaches its 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial), we return to the Declaration of Independence and its most debated phrase: “all men are created equal.” Why created equal? Why not merely born equal? In this episode, Dan McCarthy argues that the Declaration’s logic depends on a Creator: rights are not inventions of the state or products of social consensus, but endowments grounded in God and that foundation produces a radically different view of liberty, property, justice,...

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13:52

EP. 029 - Should Trump Push Interest Rates Lower?

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/12/22

During the Christmas season, it’s natural to think about joy, generosity, and prosperity. But it’s also a moment to reflect on restraint, discipline, and the long-term health of our economy. In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy examines President Trump’s plan to lower interest rates and appoint a Federal Reserve chair who would pursue easier credit. While lower rates can give the economy a short-term boost, they also carry serious risks including inflation, reckless investment, and lo...

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46:32

EP. 028 - Conservatism Before the Revolution

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/12/19

What does it really mean to be a conservative? As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, Dan McCarthy traces the deeper origins of American conservatism, not just to 1980s Reaganism or 1950s fusionism, but back to the political battles of Whigs and Tories in 18th-century England. This episode offers a sweeping intellectual history that places today’s debates over populism, foreign policy, and national identity in long historical context. 🔔 Subscribe for more episodes

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60:48

EP. 027 - Did America Reject Kings? ...or Just Bad...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/12/10

How well do Americans really understand monarchy, constitutionalism, and the actual causes of the American Revolution? In this episode of Modern Age, editor Dan McCarthy peels back the mythology to explore the deep historical roots of the American system—going back to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the rise of the Whigs and Tories, and what those debates teach us about executive power, liberalism, and today’s populist backlash. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence...

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57:10

EP: 025 - The Right’s Generational Divide: Gen Z vs....

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/11/26

What explains the growing divide between older and younger conservatives? In this episode, Modern Age editor Dan McCarthy explores the ideological, cultural, and economic rifts between the Reagan-Buckley generation and Gen Z conservatives. Is this a generational clash or the start of a new conservative movement? 📱 Subscribe for more episodes and visit modernagejournal.com 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast app

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66:51

EP. 024 - Buckley at 100: The Legacy Conservatives...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/11/20

On the centennial of William F. Buckley Jr.’s birth, Dan McCarthy revisits the towering legacy of the man who shaped postwar American conservatism. From founding National Review and leading ISI, to defining the modern Right’s anti-communist and anti-statist battles, Buckley was instrumental in reshaping American political discourse. But what did he truly conserve—and how should today’s conservatives evaluate his legacy? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan explores: -Buckley's early America ...

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27:56

EP. 023 - 50-Year Mortgages and the New American Dream

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/11/13

This week on Modern Age, Dan McCarthy breaks down the economic and cultural consequences of President Trump’s proposed 50-year mortgage and the broader housing crisis facing America. From lifelong debt and falling birthrates to the decline of Jeffersonian ideals, Dan explores the deeper roots of the affordability crisis—and why today’s policy responses might do more harm than good. Can conservatives offer a real path toward ownership, stability, and the American dream? Or are we locking the n...

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23:16

EP. 022 - Presidential Tariffs Go to Court

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/11/06

This week on Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores a pivotal legal and constitutional question: Can President Trump impose tariffs on his own authority? With the Supreme Court hearing a case that challenges his use of emergency powers under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), this episode dives deep into the legal history, economic rationale, and political stakes. What counts as a national emergency? Is a 50-year trade deficit reason enough? Dan examines both sides of the d...

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32:23

EP. 021 - America First, But Not Alone

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/10/30

In this episode, Modern Age editor Dan McCarthy explores how Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has evolved into something bigger—a coalition of nationalists reshaping international politics. Dan unpacks how this emerging coalition differs from the old liberal internationalism, why nationalism doesn’t have to mean isolationism, and how a shared strategic outlook could counter growing threats from China and other authoritarian powers. 📘 Subscribe to Modern Age:

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21:56

EP. 020 - Will Free Markets Win in Latin America?

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/10/23

In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores President Trump’s evolving strategy toward Latin America—and what it tells us about the new Cold War with China. From supporting Argentina’s Javier Milei to tightening pressure on Venezuela, Trump’s policies challenge conventional left and right critiques. Dan discusses why Trump’s strategic approach may mark a return to Cold War realism and what’s at stake for the United States as China expands its influence in our own hemisphere. Share,...

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33:22

EP. 019 - What Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal Means for Ukraine

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/10/16

Former critics are now calling Trump a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize — thanks to a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores how Trump’s bold diplomacy succeeded in one of the world’s most volatile conflicts — and whether his approach can do the same in Ukraine. Can you back a side in war and broker peace? Trump thinks so — and he might be right. 📖 Read thoughtful essays at https://modernagejournal.com

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42:17

EP. 018 - Why Columbus STILL Deserves a Holiday

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/10/09

Should Columbus Day still be celebrated in America? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores the historical, philosophical, and cultural arguments for honoring Christopher Columbus—despite the controversy surrounding him. Drawing on Christian, classical, Enlightenment, and even realist perspectives, Dan lays out three universal reasons why Columbus remains a figure worth honoring. He also examines how federal holidays reflect America’s political and cultural history, why Columbus ...

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40:47

EP. 017 - Can the West Stay Conservative Without...

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/10/01

As the West becomes less Christian and less culturally European, what happens to conservatism? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy explores the demographic and religious transformations reshaping America, Britain, and Europe—and what they mean for the future of conservative identity and political thought. Drawing on thinkers like Alexis de Tocqueville and Leo Strauss, Dan raises difficult questions about whether conservatism’s past commitments—Christianity, Protestant roots, Western ...

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47:47

Episode 016 - What the Media Gets Wrong About the Right

Modern Age with Dan McCarthy ·

2025/09/25

Why are conservatives being cast as the enemies of free speech—by the very institutions that once championed it? In this episode of Modern Age, Dan McCarthy examines the coordinated layers of left-wing power: the elite media and universities, the street-level Antifa activists, and the ideological narratives that connect them. Dan unpacks how elite institutions use inflammatory rhetoric to justify censorship and violence, while distancing themselves from the consequences. He also discusses the...

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33 results

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