The Csis Podcast

Writer and policy researcher James Piltch joins the podcast to talk about his new piece for Politico Magazine “Democrats Have a Values Problem. But Here’s How They Can Fix It." In his research, Piltch has found that Americans say they prize freedom over equity—but what does that really mean and how does it manifest itself? And how do Republicans and Democrats speak to the American people effectively when it comes to issues surrounding freedom and equity?

Jonathan Karl, ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent and author of NYT Bestseller “Front Row at the Trump Shop,” reflects on the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump’s isolation in his last days as president, and on the incoming Biden administration and the challenges it faces on day one.  

HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. Executive Director Andy Bernstein joins the podcast to discuss HeadCount’s efforts in 2020 and beyond.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. They discuss the IRC’s newly released 2021 Emergency Watchlist, and how nearly every watchlist country is facing the triple-threat of ongoing conflict, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic.  David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and the previous UK Foreign Secretary.

Politico’s chief political correspondent Tim Alberta joins the podcast to help answer why it is so hard to make sense of the 2020 election, what is at the root of America’s polarization and what happens now to the Republican and Democratic Parties respectively.

Legendary ESPN reporter Wright Thompson joins Andrew to discuss his new book, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last. In listening to this episode, you’ll learn that “Pappyland” is “barely a book about bourbon,” but rather, about so many other facets of American life. Among them: tradition and legacy, family and relationships, our public discourse and the power of brand. Plus, Wright Thompson’s analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion and its applications to our present day policy dialogue. This episode contains the use of explicit language.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Romina Bandura to discuss the challenges and factors that lead to the deforestation of the Amazon. Romina draws on her latest CSIS report, "Sustainable Infrastructure in the Amazon," to discuss the underlying causes of the deforestation and what initiatives countries need to take in order to pursue sustainable economic development and ensure that economic, environmental, and social benefits are achieved. Romina Bandura is a senior fellow with the Project on Prosperity and Development and the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew speaks with John Zogby and Jean-Paul (JP) Guilbault about a new poll that asked American adults and 16- to 17-year-olds how the national health and economic crises has impacted their lives and outlook. John and JP draw from the results of the Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies report to discuss American feelings of personal safety and wellbeing in schools and the workplace, uncertainty and distrust of leadership and institutions, and insufficient training or communication for emergency situations. Please read here to find more poll results. John Zogby is founder and senior partner of John Zogby Strategies. He is known as a veteran pollster, opinion leader, and best-selling author. JP Guilbault is the CEO of Navigate360, which provides technology, education and services to support all safety initiatives of various communities, workplaces, schools, and more.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Dr. Michael J. Green to analyze global perspectives on U.S. China policy. Dr. Green draws on statistics found in a recent CSIS survey of the American public and thought leaders in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Listen in to hear how people view China in terms of trade, human rights, security, and more. To find the full survey and analysis, please click here. Dr. Michael J. Green is senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS; and director of Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. 

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Bruce Mehlman to discuss all things on the 2020 presidential election. They reflect on the news of President Trump and other senior White House officials testing positive for Covid-19, the first presidential debate, as well as what could come of President Trump's Supreme Court nomination. Bruce P. Mehlman is the founder of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, a bipartisan government relations firm that studies the implications of the policy landscape. You can find their new analysis on the 2020 elections here.

This is a crossover episode with the CSIS podcast The Reopening. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert Daniel Yergin talks with Andrew and Scott about his latest book, The New Map, and the way technology revolutions in energy are influencing geopolitics, security, climate, and health. Daniel is vice-chairman of the research firm IHS Markit and has served on the Secretary of Energy’s advisory board under the last four presidential administrations.

In this episode, Andrew invites Rebecca Lissner, co-author of An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order. Rebecca draws on this new book to discuss why she believes the United States needs to re-imagine its grand strategy in order to face and overcome new 21st century challenges.  Rebecca Lissner is a non-resident scholar for the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University; and an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College. She co-authored An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order with Mira Rapp-Hooper. 

In this episode, Seth Jones is back to further analyze the increase of violence that has occurred across America in the last couple of weeks. He draws on more data from his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to discuss extremist groups and their use of social media, what violence might occur after this November's presidential election, and the transnational spread of white supremacism. Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites Seth Jones to discuss what CSIS data reveals on the increasing terrorism problem in the U.S. Seth draws on his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to unpack where the most significant threats are likely to come from and what factors will likely cause those threats to rise throughout the rest of 2020. Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites New York Times columnist Bret Stephens to discuss the concepts of one-state and two-state solutions for Israel, and what steps could be taken to have a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Take As Directed/Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger discusses the NYT's recent investigative team’s efforts, which chronicled the momentous White House decisions taken in early April to step back and push lead responsibility on to the states.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Sarah Ladislaw and Nikos Tsafos to explain how a new U.S. international energy policy should look, and climate change’s role within it. They also discuss the inspiration behind and future of the new CSIS initiative, Climate Smart Foreign Policy. Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president and director and senior fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. Nikos Tsafos is a senior fellow with the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's The Reopening, Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore, author of the new book “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of An American City” discusses how changes in public policy must occur for poverty and racial inequality to end in America.

Eminent political scientist Dr. Michael Fauntroy of Howard University discusses systemic racism and inequality. He discusses whether we are witnessing a movement, an awakening or a fad; and what achieving meaningful results could look like in America’s quest for social justice. 

In this episode, Georgetown Law professor and National Task Force on Election Crises member Joshua Geltzer discusses the challenges that Covid-19, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks and partisanship bring to the 2020 election.