Political Science

Political Science

episodes

The New Books in Political Science podcast provides lively discussions of politics based on the work of political scientists (and scholars concerned with politics in other disciplines). The podcast thinks holistically about politics – from global to local.

Our hosts! Lilly Goren is professor of Political Science at Carroll University, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Susan Liebell is professor of Political Science at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Lamis Abdelaaty is associate professor of Political Science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs.

Michael E. Neagle, "Chasing Bandits: America's Long War on Terror" (UNC Press, 2025)

September 11, 2026

Chasing Bandits

Michael E. Neagle
Hosted by Jacob Hagstrom

While the war on terror has been America's largest and most publicized attempt to root out foreign enemies this century, the quest to identify and des…

William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe, "Trajectory of Power: The Rise of the Strongman Presidency" (Princeton UP, 2025)

September 10, 2026

Trajectory of Power

Terry M. Moe and William G. Howell
Hosted by Lilly Goren

Political Scientists William Howell and Terry Moe have a new book out that explores how the United States constitutional system has given way to the e…

Voices from North Korea: Refugees Tell Their Stories

September 8, 2026

Voices from North Korea

In this podcast, North Korean refugees who visited the University of Bradford share their harrowing experiences of life in North Korea, escape, and th…

Meghan Garrity, "Mass Expulsion: The Politics of Forced Population Removal" (Oxford UP, 2026)

September 5, 2026

Mass Expulsion

Meghan M. Garrity
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, governments around the world have expelled, en masse, more than 30 million people. Yet despite its preva…

Nikhil Kalyanpur, "Legal Weapons of the Wealthy: The Offshoring of Elite Conflict in Emerging Markets" (Cornell UP, 2026)

September 4, 2026

Legal Weapons of the Wealthy

Nikhil Kalyanpur
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

In Legal Weapons of the Wealthy: The Offshoring of Elite Conflict in Emerging Markets (Cornell University Press, 2026), Dr. Nikhil Kalyanpur examines …

Michael Diniscia and Ellyn M Toscano eds. "Civility Unbound: Contesting a Democratic Value" (NYU Press, 2026)

September 3, 2026

Civility Unbound

Michael Diniscia and Ellyn M Toscano eds.
Hosted by Lilly Goren

The idea of civility goes back to classical Rome and the ways in which citizens engaged one another within the republic. The term itself is often used…

Jieun Baek,  "Privileged But Powerless: How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness" (Yale UP, 2026)

September 3, 2026

Privileged But Powerless

Jieun Baek
Hosted by Nicholas Gordon

What do the people closest to power really think about the system they serve? That’s perhaps one of the most important questions one could ask about N…

Jonathan Quong, "Political Philosophy: The Puzzle of Legitimate Injustice" (Princeton UP, 2026)

September 3, 2026

Political Philosophy

Jonathan Quong
Hosted by Blain Neufeld

Can laws be unjust and yet remain, in some sense, morally legitimate? In Political Philosophy: The Puzzle of Legitimate Injustice (Princeton UP, 2026)…

The Political Philosophy of Mark Twain: On His Absurd, Noble Americans with Ivan Kenneally

September 2, 2026

The Political Philosophy of Mark Twain

with Ivan Kenneally
Hosted by Ryan Shinkel

While many know that Mark Twain created some of the most famous characters in literature—Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Jim and Puddn’head Wilson—to…

Richard Ned Lebow, "Why Nations Still Fight" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

August 30, 2026

Why Nations Still Fight

Richard Ned Lebow

Drawing on an original data set of interventions and wars from 1945 to the current day, as well as numerous short case studies, Richard Ned Lebow offe…

Srirupa Roy, "The Political Outsider: Indian Democracy and the Lineages of Populism" (Stanford UP, 2024)

August 28, 2026

The Political Outsider

Srirupa Roy
Hosted by Dhiren Swain

Defying the dire predictions that attended its birth as an independent nation-state in 1947, the Indian republic is more than seventy-five years old. …

Catherine Reyes-Housholder, "How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America" (Temple UP, 2026)

August 28, 2026

How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America

Catherine Reyes-Housholder
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Between 1990 and 2020, women candidates won only 6% of the world’s presidential races. How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America (Temple U…

Paul Johnson, "Challenging Inequalities: How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next" (Princeton UP, 2026)

August 26, 2026

Challenging Inequalities

Paul Johnson

There is a widespread sense throughout the developed world that progress towards a better society has stalled. Many countries, including the UK, have …

After Putin: A Discussion with Political Scientist Julian G. Waller

August 25, 2026

After Putin

Hosted by Paul Starobin

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, at 73 years old, is still very much alive, yet the “After Putin” conversation is an active one inside and outside of Ru…

Edward Goldring, "Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive" (Cornell UP, 2026)

August 24, 2026

Purges

Edward Goldring
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive (Cornell University Press, 2026) by Dr. Edward Goldring delves into one of the key tactics that autocrats deplo…

Mark Leonard, "Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail" (Polity Press, 2026)

August 22, 2026

Surviving Chaos

Mark Leonard
Hosted by Lucas Tse

"Expansive visions. Universal institutions. Ideas of progress. It was on the back of these that the West surged ahead and built a global order. I was …

Seth Masket, "The Elephants in the Room: How Trump Voters Seized the Party from Republican Leaders" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

August 20, 2026

The Elephants in the Room

Seth Masket
Hosted by Lilly Goren

Political Scientist Seth Masket’s new book, The Elephants in the Room: How Trump Voters Seized the Party from Republican Leaders (Cambridge UP, 2026) …

Deborah Mayersen, "Genocide Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

August 18, 2026

Genocide Prevention

Deborah Mayersen
Hosted by Kelly McFall

There has never been a more promising time for genocide prevention. More resources and research are being focused on prevention than ever before. Yet …

Elizabeth Tynan, "Nuclear Archipelago: Secrets, Power and the Biggest Atomic Blast in Australia" (NewSouth, 2026)

August 16, 2026

Nuclear Archipelago Secrets

Elizabeth Tynan

Nuclear Archipelago: Secrets, Power and the Biggest Atomic Blast in Australia (NewSouth, 2026) tells the shocking story of the two British atomic weap…

Matias E. Margulis, "Shadow Negotiators: How UN Organizations Shape the Rules of World Trade for Food Security" (Stanford UP, 2023)

August 15, 2026

Shadow Negotiators

Matias E. Margulis
Hosted by Miranda Melcher

Shadow Negotiators: How UN Organizations Shape the Rules of World Trade for Food Security (Stanford University Press, 2023) by Dr. Matias E. Marguli…