Checks and Balance from The Economist The Economist
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Checks and Balance unlocks American politics by taking a big theme each week and digging into the data, the ideas, and the history shaping the country.
Join John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman as they talk to politicians, pollsters, academics and people across the country about the great experiment of American democracy. Published every Friday.
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Dictator-proofing: How fragile is America’s democracy?
Donald Trump and Joe Biden are campaigning against a global backdrop of rising authoritarianism. Each candidate has accused the other of trying to destroy American democracy. But what are the constraints on the presidency, whoever holds the office? This week we consider whether the checks and balances the founding fathers put in place are still fit for purpose. Could a president tilt the country toward dictatorship?
Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice and The Economist’s John Prideaux also contribute.
Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts
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High hopes: A decade of legal cannabis
Just over half of Americans live in a state with legal recreational weed. Now, the Department of Justice is recommending the drug be reclassified on a federal level. Legalisation amounts to a massive experiment for public policy, entrepreneurs and consumers. Is it a rolling success? Or will it leave states and investors high and dry?
Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. Daniel Sumner of the University of California, Davis, legal weed entrepreneur Beau Allulli and The Economist’s Daniel Knowles also contribute.
Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts
Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. -
Checks and Balance: Bill comes due
America's national debt now exceeds $34 trillion. The budget deficit–inflated by having to pay interest on all that debt–has averaged 9% of GDP over the past five years. Does that spending threaten America’s economy? And why do so few politicians seem to care?
Charlotte Howard hosts with Adam O’Neal and Idrees Kahloon. Doug Elmendorf, the Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, and The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch also contribute.
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
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Checks and Balance: Chaos on campus
Student protests and encampments have mushroomed across America. Some students fear for their safety and more than 2,000 people have been arrested, as police in riot gear clear campuses. What do these protests mean for free speech, and what impact will they have on November’s election?
Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. The Economist’s Daniella Raz and John Prideaux also contribute.
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Checks and Balance: Aid, and a bet
For months, a big foreign-aid deal looked like it was going nowhere in the House of Representatives. Now $95bn of support is heading out the door. How did the bill get through? What does it mean for Ukraine and for American leadership in the world?
Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Adam O’Neal and Anton La Guardia.
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Checks and Balance: Stormy weather
A jury has been selected in Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan. The case has been criticised as flawed and partisan, but of the four indictments against Mr Trump, it may be the only one to produce a verdict before the election. Now the trial is underway, what should one make of it? And what difference could a guilty verdict make?
John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. Jed Shugerman of Boston University and The Economist’s James Bennet and Kennett Werner also contribute.
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Customer Reviews
So glad I subscribed to the Economist to access Podcasts like this one!
Love the discussions by and among the hosts superimposed with the interviews!
Try Harder Please
Why are all Economist’s podcasts so bad when the magazine is so good? Clearly being a great writer does not translate to radio. Please hire some real presenters/producers/editors that know how to communicate a story because it’s so bad right now. To be clear, it’s not just this podcast, it’s every Economist podcast without exception.
Is it still a lie if the Economist believes it?
I can’t believe Check and Balance is part of The Economist’s otherwise good offerings. The answer is these lies are just too unbelievable for anyone to believe. The economy is a mess.
If you’re not a homeowner or you are a retired person with a pension or a taxpayer - the economy is the worst.
Access to rental or homeownership is almost out of reach for young workers. This economy is killing our future, Biden Inflation Reduction Act spending is still causing inflation and long term deficit impacts. Please tell the truth, we deserve the truth, we can handle the truth, we need a change.