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Madison's Notes
Madison's Notes September 26, 2023

Bargaining for Democracy

A Conversation with Josiah Ober on Ancients and Moderns

Josiah Ober

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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Amidst increasing acrimony and political strain, many worry that democratic governance has an expiration date. To answer these concerns, Josiah Ober looks to the ancients. Here, he discusses his recent …

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Madison’s Notes is the podcast of Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions.

Madison's Notes September 12, 2023

Religion and Politics in the Lord of the Rings

A Discussion with Rachel Fulton Brown

Rachel Fulton Brown

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
Listen:
J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork The Lord of the Rings delighted so many of us as children, yet it and its vast body of accompanying work, such as the Silmarillion, contain a …
Madison's Notes August 29, 2023

How Should Protestants Engage With Natural Law Theory?

A Conversation on the Work of Robert P. George with Andrew T. Walker

Andrew T. Walker

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
Natural law theory is known to be more emphasized among Catholics than Protestants. Why is that the case, and should it be? Do Protestants need to focus more on philosophy …
Madison's Notes August 15, 2023

Paratroopers in the Pacific

A Conversation with James Fenelon

James M. Fenelon

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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In the final episode of Season 3, Annika sits down with James Fenelon, a veteran-turned-historian, who served in the Army for over a decade and is a graduate of the …
Madison's Notes August 1, 2023

Talking Clarence Thomas

A Conversation with Amul Thapar

Amul Thapar

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
As the last few months of landmark Supreme Court decisions have showcased, Clarence Thomas is one of the most important men in America. To wrap up our Summer of Law …
Madison's Notes July 18, 2023

Mere Natural Law

A Conversation with Hadley Arkes

Hadley Arkes

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
What is natural law, and what does it have to do with originalism? Why does the Right defend religion yet so often struggle to define it? Next up in our …
Madison's Notes July 3, 2023

The Supreme Court's Past, Present, and Future

A Conversation with John Yoo

John Yoo

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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It has been a momentous few weeks for the Supreme Court. What better time to discuss the Court's history and future? We are therefore launching our "Summer of Law" series …
Madison's Notes June 20, 2023

The Ascendance of Social Conservatism in the Public Square

A Conversation with Ryan T. Anderson

Ryan T. Anderson

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
Within political discussions on the Right, social conservatism is on the rise. Why did the Right have a libertarian phase, and why is it leaving it behind? What does social …
Madison's Notes June 6, 2023

Feminism against Progress

A Conversation with Mary Harrington

Mary Harrington

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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Is feminism compatible with progress? Reactionary feminist Mary Harrington thinks not. In this interview, she discusses the history of feminism, her own journey from proponent to radical opponent of progress …
Madison's Notes June 2, 2023

Mapping the American Right

A Conversation with the American Enterprise Institute’s Robert Doar

Robert Doar

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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Annika sits down with Robert Doar, president of the American Enterprise Institute, one of Washington D.C.'s most prominent think-tanks, to discuss the state of the American Right: what are the …
Madison's Notes June 1, 2023

Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty

A Conversation with Margarita Mooney Clayton

Margarita Mooney Clayton

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
Listen:
Is beauty objective, or merely a personal experience? Do we need beauty in our daily lives, or is it just icing on the cake? Is the sole purpose of art …
Madison's Notes May 31, 2023

Defining Man and Woman

A Conversation with Abigail Favale

Abigail Favale

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
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Amidst fraught debates about what gender is, and how it fits into feminism, Annika sits down with Dr. Abigail Favale, an English professor specializing in gender studies and feminist literary …
Madison's Notes May 30, 2023

Educating for Solitude

A Conversation with William Deresiewicz

William Deresiewicz

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
What kind of person is our education system designed to create? Best-selling author and award-winning essayist William Deresiewicz discusses the failures of our higher education system, how it mis-conditions our …
Madison's Notes May 29, 2023

Assessing Affirmative Action

A Conversation with Jason Riley

Jason Riley

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
With the Supreme Court poised to potentially outlaw race-conscious admissions, Affirmative Action may soon be on the chopping block. What will be the legacy of this half-century-old policy? Jason Riley …
Madison's Notes May 28, 2023

Martyrs in Mosul

A Conversation on Christian Persecution with Father Benedict Kiely

Father Benedict Kiely

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
With Christmas approaching, in this episode we reflect on Christian persecution in the Middle East, the historic cradle of Christianity and the birthplace of Jesus, and the very different challenges …
Madison's Notes May 27, 2023

Strategy and Saratoga

A Conversation with Kevin Weddle

Kevin Weddle

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
At the Battle of Saratoga, the tide of the Revolutionary War turned in favor of unlikely victors: the American patriots. What were the major strategy elements at play in the …
Madison's Notes May 26, 2023

Missing: Men at Work

A Conversation with Nick Eberstadt

Nick Eberstadt

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
Over six million prime-age men are neither working nor looking for work; America's low unemployment rate hides the fact that many men have dropped out of the workforce altogether. Our …
Madison's Notes May 25, 2023

The Hundred Year War for the American Right

A Conversation with Matthew Continetti

Matthew Continetti

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
What is the American Right, where does it come from, and how has it changed over time? Journalist and author Matthew Continetti discusses his recent book: The Right: The Hundred …
Madison's Notes May 24, 2023

Economic Freedom from Kennedy to Reagan to Trump

A Conversation with Larry Kudlow

Larry Kudlow

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
With contentious midterm elections coming up fast, Annika sits down with one of the best-known commentators and participants in the American political economy over the past four decades: Larry Kudlow …
Madison's Notes May 23, 2023

Money or Meaning?

A Discussion on Choice, Restlessness, and Higher Education with Ben and Jenna Storey

Ben Storey and Jenna Storey

Hosted by Annika Nordquist
What kinds of tools do we need to make big decisions, and why aren't our universities training us to make them? Are universities doing students a disservice by occupying them …