Thought Huddle podcast Arizona State University

Many of life’s daily interactions depend on trust. That’s especially true for the healthy functioning of a democratic government and its institutions. But what happens when trust erodes? We talk to Daniel Rothenberg, co-director of ASU’s Center on the Future of War and professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies, about reasons why people mistrust the government — and how to build back trust in a deeply flawed system.

The rise of advanced information technologies has resulted in sophisticated efforts to fragment American society — from foreign actors like Russia, to conspiracy theorists and political campaigns — and these efforts are working. ASU’s Braden Allenby tells us what this looks like, how it works and what we can do to restore a robust, pluralistic democracy.

Democracy flourished in Athens 2500 years ago — but lasted only about a century. Why was it so influential in the thousands of years that followed? And how do the struggles and conflicts of ancient Greece mirror our own? We explore these questions with scholar Catherine Zuckert, professor emerita of political science at the University of Notre Dame and visiting professor in ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.

American capitalism was built on the backs of slaves and the slave economy — and not just in the South. Some of these practices are still with us.

Historian Calvin Schermerhorn explains how slavery built America without returning virtually any of the gains to the enslaved people — or their descendants. He also describes how racial inequality is part of our national DNA and why it persists.

Schermerhorn is a professor of history in ASU’s School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, and the author of four books on the history of slavery in the U.S., including “Unrequited Toil: A History of United States Slavery.”

The practice of lynching was originally used against British loyalists. But after the Civil War it became a way of brutally suppressing the rights and agency of African American citizens.

We speak with ASU Professor Ersula Ore about her book, "Lynching: Violence, Rhetoric, & American Identity," and the continuing reality of racial injustice.

Ore traces the ways in which the practice and the language of violence are embedded in American identity, and how that affects citizens — specifically ex-slaves, Native Americans and other people of color.

Ore is the Lincoln Professor of Ethics in the School of Social Transformation and an assistant professor of African and African American studies, and rhetoric.

Organizations serving the public during the crisis of COVID-19 are facing their own challenges.

Myriad nonprofits — from front-line service providers to museums and performing arts organizations — are feeling the impact of the pandemic in everything from revenues to volunteerism. Robert Ashcraft, executive director of the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at ASU, talks about the challenges, creativity and collaboration he’s seeing in nonprofits across the country, including the innovative use of farm animals on Zoom calls.