Checks and Balance from The Economist

The stakes will be high when Donald Trump visits Xi Jinping next week, the first of four expected meetings in 2026. The coming six months could shape ties between America and China for many years. What can the summit achieve?Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”James Bennet, Lexington columnistJeremy Page, chief China correspondent and host of “Drum Tower”Sarah Beran, former senior US diplomat and partner at Macro Advisory PartnersSimon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chiefTopics covered:AI securityTaiwanUS-China TradeThank you to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum for the archive audio used in this episode.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

Unlock American politics with The Economist’s John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard and James Bennet. Taking one big theme every week, they dig into the data, the ideas and the history behind it. Politicians, pollsters and political scientists join them to discuss where the great experiment of American democracy is headed. Published every Friday.

Farmers are among Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters. But they have been getting a raw deal from the man they helped re-elect in 2024. First came the trade war that eroded access to key export markets. Then came the Iran war, and rising fuel and fertiliser costs. Meanwhile, Congressional wranglings over food stamps are delaying the new Farm Bill. So what, if anything, would cause rural voters to abandon President Trump?Guests and hosts:Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief and executive editorRebecca Jackson, Southern correspondentAlice Fulwood, Wall Street correspondent; co-host Money TalksNick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers UnionTopics covered:Farm Bill / SNAPAgricultural trade and tariffsIran War & fuel / fertiliser costsRural politicsTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

It’s a little over six months to go until the midterm elections. The Economist’s model predicts that Republicans will probably lose the House, and maybe the Senate, breaking the president’s trifecta. When he lost the presidential election in 2020 Donald Trump wanted to overturn the result. Could he try to interfere again?Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief and executive editorJames Bennet, Lexington columnistAdrian Fontes, Arizona’s Secretary of StateRichard Hasen, professor at University of California, Los Angeles School of LawTopics covered:Election interferencePast elections that were stolenHow states are respondingListen to The Weekend Intelligence on ibogaine hereSign up for Economist Education’s course on international relations here and enter the code CHECKS for a 15% discountTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

Donald Trump announced a two-week pause to the war with Iran on Tuesday evening. Days later, the agreement seems shaky at best. Where does this leave the president and the rest of America?Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief and executive editorJames Bennet, Lexington columnistTopics covered:Iran war ceasefireIsraelDonald TrumpTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

“Liberal” has become an epithet in American politics. The left wing of the Democratic Party now prefers “progressive”. But author and columnist Adrian Wooldridge argues that classical liberalism—beliefs in individualism, checks on power, and open debate—needs to be tweaked, not abandoned.Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”Adrian Wooldridge, author of “Centrists of the World Unite!”Topics covered:LiberalismPolitical polarisationBig techTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

The relationship between America and Israel has always been close, but seldom easy. Even before the joint attacks on Iran, many Americans were souring on the alliance. Could the war do lasting damage to the US-Israeli bond?Guests and hosts:Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent, former Washington correspondentJames Bennet, Lexington columnistRebecca Jackson, US correspondentAnshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondentTopics covered:Divides over Israel within the Democratic and Republican partiesBinyamin Netanyahu’s influence on AmericaThe view from IsraelTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

As a net exporter of energy America should be better placed to weather an oil shock than most. But the Iran war comes at a time when consumer confidence is already languishing at record lows. How will the war affect America’s economy, and Americans’ perception of it? Guests and hosts:Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief and executive editorJames Bennet, Lexington columnistArchie Hall, US economics editorJoshua Blank, Research Director of the Texas Politics ProjectAjay Rajadhyaksha, Global Chairman of Research at Barclays,Topics covered:American petro-statesHow energy crises hurt incumbentsThe wider US economyTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.