This is Democracy

Eliot Cohen, Johns Hopkins professor emeritus and national-security scholar, provides expert analysis on U.S. strategy toward Iran. He outlines two common policy mistakes and discusses Israel’s role and military contributions. He examines how allies shaped U.S. choices and considers the realistic prospects for regime change in Iran.

Michael Dennis, a military intelligence expert and professor, provides historical perspective on the war with Iran. He walks through recent strikes and targeted domains. He explains timing and motives behind US and Israeli actions. He considers campaign planning, post-strike risks, regional ripple effects, and challenges of shaping or replacing regimes.

Jeremi and Zachary speak with historian Heather Ann Thompson about her book "Fear and Fury," using the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway case to explore how Reagan-era, rising inequality, and a newly powerful conservative media reshaped public attitudes about crime, race, and self-defense. They connect the episode to figures like Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump, and Rudy Giuliani, and to the often-overlooked lives of the four teenagers at the center of the story. Dr. Heather Ann Thompson is a historian at the University of Michigan, and is the Pulitzer Prize and Bancroft Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy (Pantheon Books, 2016). Her latest book is Fear and Fury: The Reagan 80s, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage (Pantheon, 2026).

Zachary Suri and Jeremi Suri invite Professor David Aiona Chang on to discuss the ongoing standoff between anti-ICE protesters and DHS officials in Minneapolis, exploring the historical roots, community solidarity, and broader implications for immigration policy and local resistance. Zachary sets the scene with his original poem, "Nicollet Avenue". Professor David Aiona Chang is a historian at the University of Minnesota. He studies Indigenous people, colonialism, borders and migration in Hawaii and North America, focusing especially on the histories of Native American and Native Hawaiian people, as well as the history of social movements in the United States.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary discuss the implications of US intervention in Venezuela with Professor Kurt Weyland, examining the Monroe Doctrine's historical context, the interplay of realist and idealist motives, and the uncertain future of Venezuelan politics. Dr. Kurt Weyland is the Mike Hogg Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.  He has conducted original research in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and Venezuela. Prof. Weyland is the author of seven books, including: The Politics of Market Reform in Fragile Democracies (Princeton, 2002); Making Waves: Democratic Contention in Europe and Latin America(Cambridge, 2014); Assault on Democracy: Communism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism during the Interwar Years (Cambridge, 2021); and Democracy’s Resilience to Populism’s Threat (Cambridge, 2024).

Jeremi and Zachary discuss key lessons and impressions from 2025 to kick off the new year of 2026. Zachary opens the episode with an excerpt from George Orwell's essay, "Can Socialists Be Happy?"

This week, Jeremi and Zachary speak with Professor Steven Mintz on the critical role of civics and history education in contemporary society. The discussion covers why civics education is crucial for understanding foundational facts of American history, the contentious nature of how history is taught today, and the challenges posed by ideological divides. Steven Mintz is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is an authority on the history of families and childhood. Steve is also a pedagogical innovator and a commentator on the arts and the human condition. From 2012 to 2017, he directed the UT System’s Institute for Transformational Learning. Steve is the author of many prizewinning books, including: Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood (2004) and The Learning-Centered University: Making College a More Developmental, Transformational, and Equitable Experience (2024).

This week, Zachary and Jeremi revisit the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, discussing recent developments and potential diplomatic solutions. They are joined by Michael Kimmage, Professor of History at the Catholic University of America, who offers insights into the complex political landscape, the roles of Putin and Zelensky, and the intricate US-European alliance. Zachary begins the episode by reading "Knife", a poem by Ukrainian author, Lyuba Yakimchuk. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America, and the director of the Kennan Institute. From 2014 to 2017, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. His latest book is Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability.

This week Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada Reno, whose work focuses on the Cuban Missile Crisis and its enduring impact in Latin America. They explore public reactions in Latin America during the crisis, analyze the diverging opinions within the region, and discuss the long-term consequences. Jeremi sets the scene by reading the opening lyrics to Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War,' which was written in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dr. Renata Keller is an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is the author of two books:  Mexico’s Cold War: Cuba, the United States, and the Legacy of the Mexican Revolution and, most recently, The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War. Dr. Keller received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

This week, Zachary and Jeremi discuss the complexities and challenges surrounding the adaptability of the American Constitution with Professor Steven Skowronek. They delve into topics such as constitutional amendments, the role and evolution of the Supreme Court, and the potential need for a new constitutional framework to address contemporary issues. Zachary sets the scene with a passage from Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Paper No. 85. Dr. Stephen Skowronek is the Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale University.  His most recent book is The Adaptability Paradox: Political Inclusion and Constitutional Resilience. Other publications include Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary Executive  (with John Dearborn and Desmond King), The Policy State: An American Predicament (With Karen Orren), The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to Bill Clinton, and Building a New American State: The Expansion of National Administrative Capacities, 1877-1920 (1982).