286 | What Just Happened?

David, Helen and Gary convene on very little sleep to try to make sense of another extraordinary election. Though we still don't know who won, we do know that some things are going to get even harder for American democracy. What's the nightmare scenario: the loser refusing to lose, or the winner being unable to govern? Why did the pollsters get it wrong again? And what's likely to happen when the contest reaches the courts? Plus we ask if the American Constitution can cope with close elections any more.

272 | Has Covid Rescued Europe?

This week we look at the big changes in European politics during the crisis and ask who has managed to turn it around.  Is Italy now a model for crisis management?  Has there been a reorientation in German politics under Merkel?  Can the EU rescue fund really rescue the European project?  Plus we discuss the long-term implications of big state politics for the future of Europe.  With Helen Thompson, Lucia Rubinelli and Hans Kundnani.

237 | British Politics: The Big Reset?

We discuss whether British politics is about to undergo a fundamental shift.  Are we seeing a new role for the state?  Have the lines between the parties started to blur?  What will be the long-term consequences of the economic decisions taken in the last few weeks? Plus we explore whether the crisis points in the direction of more democracy, less democracy or a different kind of democracy.  With Helen Thompson and Tom McTague of the Atlantic.

235 | Can America Cope?

David, Helen and Gary Gerstle discuss the impact of the pandemic on the fundamentals of American politics.  What have we discovered about the strengths and weaknesses of the federal system?  Are the states capable of learning from each other?  What part will the Supreme Court play?  And can the Democrats really persist with Biden?  Plus we ask who has the 'police power' and what it means to use it.

210 | Pornography and the Post Office

Gary Gerstle tells the story of Anthony Comstock, the man who tried to stamp out pornography in the final decades of the nineteenth century, using the US Postal Service as his weapon.  Where he succeeded and how he ultimately failed still has echoes now, even in the age of the internet.

140 | Trump and the Shutdown

With the US government still shut, we compare this standoff to shutdowns of the past and try to work out what happens next.  What is Trump's game?  Can the two parties hold together?  And why aren't the workers taking to the streets?  Plus we weigh up where things stand with the Mueller investigation, the race for the democratic nomination and Trump's shifting policy on Syria.  It's all connected!  With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle.