The American Idea
The American Idea explores America's Founding principles and their effect on American history and government. Through thoughtful conversations with renowned academics and public figures from across the country, we examine the history and political thought behind our country’s greatest documents and debates, as well as contemporary issues, American popular culture, and political statesmanship. The podcast is a production of the Ashbrook Center and hosted by Jeff Sikkenga.
Notable Guests
Episodes (244)
Old Man Eloquent: The Life and Letters of John Quincy Adams
The American Idea
Frederick Douglass's Constitutional Abolitionism
The American Idea
The End of World War 2 in the Pacific: VJ Day at 80 Years
The American Idea
"A Most Fearful Evil" - What is the National Debt and Why Should You Care About...
The American Idea
Mercy Otis Warren - America's Forgotten Founding Historian and Thinker
The American Idea
Not the Arbiter of Truth - America's Complicated History of a Free Press
The American Idea
Inside the Reagan White House: A Conversation with Ambassador Frank Lavin
The American Idea
2025 United States Supreme Court Decisions - Commentary and Analysis
The American Idea
America's First Core Document - The Declaration of Independence
The American Idea
All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money
The American Idea
Sir William Blackstone's Influence on the American Founding
The American Idea
Why and How Did Slaveholders Oppose Free Speech?
The American Idea
Paul Nitze - America's Cold Warrior
The American Idea
The Extinction of Experience - Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Face of Technology
The American Idea
America's Place in the World - Empire, Neighbor, or Something Else?
The American Idea
Trump, Trade, and Tariffs - Historical Background and Current Analysis
The American Idea
VE Day at 80 Years - The End of WW2 in Europe
The American Idea
The Challenges of Creating an American Grand Strategy
The American Idea
No Fun Anymore: What's Happened to the NBA?
The American Idea
Lexington & Concord at 250 Years: Stories from the American Revolution
The American Idea
Do the Democrats Have an Ideology Problem?
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Lessons in Liberty: What We Can Learn From the Lives of 10 Extraordinary America...
The American Idea
The Statesmanship of Ronald Reagan
The American Idea
Abigail Adams: John's Confidant, Partner, and Advisor
The American Idea
Sleep Training the American People?
The American Idea
A Speech That Mattered - Lincoln's Second Inaugural
The American Idea
Adding the Lone Star - The Annexation and Statehood of Texas
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The Conductor: America's Forgotten Father of the Abolition Movement
The American Idea
America's Foreign Policy Challenges as of Early 2025
The American Idea
Lincoln and the Presidential Pardon Power
The American Idea
Jimmy Carter - His Presidency, Politics, and Legacy
The American Idea
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Reconciliation
The American Idea
New Year, Same Problem: Our National Debt and Its Implications
The American Idea
America First - FDR vs Charles Lindbergh in the Shadow of War
The American Idea
Making the Presidency - John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic
The American Idea
Born American, But in the Wrong Place - A Special Episode of The American Idea
The American Idea
The Work of a Press Secretary: Politics and Perceptions | Contemporary Conversat...
The American Idea
The Nazis' Last Gasp: The Battle of the Bulge at 80 Years
The American Idea
The Power and the Money - When Presidents and Captains of Industry Clash
The American Idea
Presidential Scandals - Crimes and Moral Failings From the Founding to the Prese...
The American Idea
America's Military Recruiting Crisis
The American Idea
Elections of 2024 - Analysis, Commentary, and Reflections
The American Idea
Angry American Politics - What We Can Learn From The Election of 1800
The American Idea
Freedom of the Press and the Rise of the Citizen Journalist
The American Idea
MacArthur's Return to the Philippines at 80 Years
The American Idea
Chinese Malware Apps - A Trojan Horse in Your Pocket
The American Idea
Civics Education - A Matter of the Heart and the Mind
The American Idea
The Anti Discrimination Regime - What is it and what does it mean for Liberty?
The American Idea
Operation Market-Garden at 80 Years: WW2's Last Massive Airborne Assault
The American Idea
Constitution Day 2024 with Jeff Sessions
The American Idea