Checks and Balance from The Economist

Maine is different. It’s the only state in America that Kamala Harris won in 2024 which has a Republican senator. It should be one of the easiest seats for Democrats to flip in the midterms: will it be? Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”Charlotte Howard, executive editor James Bennet, Lexington columnistDan Rosenheck, data editorGraham Platner, presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate in MaineTopics covered:The Senate race in MaineGraham Platner’s campaignSusan Collins’ Senate careerListen 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 will mark his 80th birthday with a gladiatorial spectacle next month. The president, a longtime fan of combat sports, is hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight night on the south lawn of the White House. What does the president’s patronage of the sport reveal about America?Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editor and host of “Checks and Balance”Charlotte Howard, executive editor James Bennet, Lexington columnistNatalie Adams, professor at the University of AlabamaDan Cassino, professor at Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityTopics covered:UFCThe history of masculinityHow men voteListen 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 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.

“America doesn’t have to constantly police every region of the world,” J.D. Vance said on the 2024 campaign trail. A war with Iran seemed to him a particularly bad idea. Donald Trump attacked Tehran anyway. How much influence does J.D. Vance, and his ideas, have over Donald Trump’s presidency? Guests and hosts:John Prideaux, US editorCharlotte Howard, New York bureau chiefJames Bennet, Lexington columnistOren Cass, founder of American CompassJoel K.Goldstein, scholar of the vice presidencyTopics covered:J.D. Vance’s ideologyThe history of the vice presidencyTranscripts 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.