

Frankly Fukuyama
Francis Fukuyama
Join Francis Fukuyama for conversations with leading policymakers and thinkers as he explores how to revitalize liberal democracy in the United States, while addressing the authoritarian challenges to liberal democracy abroad. A project of American Purpose at Persuasion. www.persuasion.community
Episodes
Mentioned books

18 snips
Mar 1, 2026 • 39min
Francis Fukuyama on Trump’s War With Iran
Francis Fukuyama, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford and noted political scientist, joins to analyze Trump’s strikes on Iran. He questions social media reports and the limits of decapitation tactics. Short takes examine regime fragility, risks of regional escalation, U.S. exit strategies, Iran’s internal dynamics, and shifting U.S. attitudes toward Israel.

Feb 4, 2026 • 36min
Stephen E. Hanson and Jeffrey S. Kopstein on America as a Family Business
Francis Fukuyama is joined by Steve Hanson and Jeff Kopstein to discuss why Donald Trump’s regime can be described as “patrimonial,” how this approach leads to high corruption, and why reversing it will pose special challenges.Stephen E. Hanson and Jeffrey . Kopstein are professors of political science at William and Mary College and the University of California, Irvine, respectively.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Jan 9, 2026 • 47min
Damon Linker on Leo Strauss, Glory, and Gender
Damon Linker is a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania and writes the subscription newsletter “Notes from the Middleground” at Substack. He discusses divisions among Straussians, why an internal longing for glory drives so much of the right and why gender remains such a divisive topic.All episodes of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast are available here.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Dec 11, 2025 • 43min
Alex Stamos on the Real Threat Posed By AI
Alex Stamos was formerly head of security at Facebook/Meta and is a leading expert on computer security. He discusses the threats to computer security posed by the most recent advances in AI, and explains why those are much more dangerous and urgent than the “existential” threats feared by many.All episodes of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast are available here.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Dec 4, 2025 • 46min
Laura K. Field on the New Right
Francis Fukuyama and Laura K. Field, author of Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, explore the ideological roots of Trumpism, the role of gender in the New Right, and the complicated legacy of Leo Strauss.All episodes of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast are available here. Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Nov 24, 2025 • 33min
Jim Fishkin on Deliberation and Democracy
Francis Fukuyama interviews Jim Fishkin, author of Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?, about why democracies need deliberation, the role of AI, and how to ensure the deliberative process doesn’t hinder public infrastructure projects.All episodes of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast are available here. You can watch the interview below.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Nov 17, 2025 • 24min
Why We Need Abundance
Francis Fukuyama is interviewed by Leonora Barclay, Head of Podcasts at Persuasion, about what’s stopping the United States from building infrastructure, how to encourage public participation without holding projects back, and why abundance is the solution to many affordability issues in America today.All episodes of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast are available here.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison and Leonora Barclay.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Nov 10, 2025 • 23min
Daniela Salazar on State Violence in Ecuador
Francis Fukuyama and Daniela Salazar, a former judge in the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, discuss what Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in five states means, the increase in state violence and human rights violations, and why a new constitution isn’t the solution. Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Nov 7, 2025 • 6min
Superintelligence Isn't Enough
Predictions that AGI or artificial general intelligence will lead to machines that are smarter than human beings abound. But superintelligence is unlikely to lead to the kind of explosive economic growth that some predict, because intelligence is only one of many inputs necessary to sustain economic growth.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe

Nov 5, 2025 • 54min
Why China and the United States are Different
In the first half of the conversation, Frank Fukuyama interviews Dan Wang on his book breakneck, and how the engineering state led to the disaster of the “one child” policy; in the second part, Dan queries Frank on his view of the Chinese Communist Party, his meeting with anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan, and other topics.Podcast production by Ringo Harrison.Connect with us!X: @FukuyamaFrancis & @JoinPersuasionYouTube: Frankly Fukuyama & Persuasion This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.persuasion.community/subscribe


