When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in America” was a big influence on later generations of writers and thinkers, including The Economist’s US Editor John Prideaux. Now, 250 years after its birth, the vitality of that democracy is under question. In this series, John retraces the route Tocqueville took to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville about America remains—and how worried we should be about what’s changed.

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Andy Burnham won a by-election he needed in order to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister. We look at the path ahead for him. The Iran deal seemingly promises a financial windfall for the country and its regime—one that its battered economy sorely needs. And the mythmaking of presidential libraries, as seen in the latest one: Barack Obama’s.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

• Hugo Gye, British political correspondent
• Fraser McIlwraith, foreign correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• British politics, Andy Burnham, Labour party 
• Iran war, Iran deal, Iran’s economy
• Barack Obama, presidential libraries

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As expected, the new Federal Reserve chairman kept rates steady. More interesting were what he did and did not say. How will he handle inevitable pressure from President Donald Trump? After nearly disappearing altogether, Germany’s left-wing Die Linke party is roaring back—particularly among the young. And a selection of our readers’ examples of upward-management tips and tricks.

Guests and host:

• Archie Hall, US economics editor
• Tom Nuttall, Berlin bureau chief
• Andrew Palmer, Bartleby columnist
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Federal Reserve, interest rates, monetary policy, Iran war
• Germany, Die Linke, left-wing politics
• management, managing management

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Geopolitics has dominated this year’s G7 political meeting in Evian, France. Donald Trump offered scant detail on the Iran peace deal but leaders promised to boost support for Ukraine. Though prostitution in Japan has a long history, recent scandals have drawn it into the spotlight. And Britain’s Country Life magazine has a winning formula: ignore the news. 

Guests and host:

• Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief
• Moeka Iida, East Asia reporter
• Catherine Nixey, Britain correspondent
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• G7, Donald Trump, Iran, Ukraine
• Prostitution, Japan, sex work
• Country Life, publishing, Britain

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The World Cup may seem to be proof that the digital commons centralises a global audience. We find that entertainment is in fact fragmenting, with big implications for soft power. Our series examining America’s 250 years of history tackles the AIDS crisis and the war on terror. And mosquitoes may in fact be attracted to a gold-standard repellent. 

Guests and host:

• Tom Wainwright, media editor
• Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
• Matt Kaplan, science correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• global media, World Cup, culture
• American history
• mosquitoes, science

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Despite exchanges of missiles and drones between Israel and Lebanon, the start of a deal was struck overnight. What exactly has been agreed, and will it hold? We examine the idea that part-nationalisation could be a way to share the coming onslaught of AI wealth. And our series on World Cup contenders concludes with a look at England’s side.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Alex Domash, economics correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran war, Middle East, America
• AI, wealth redistribution
• World Cup, England

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Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a group of maximum security prisoners in Sing Sing offer a vision of how to get back on track?

Guests and Hosts

• John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
• Sean Pica, executive director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison 
• Jean Frantz, prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility 

Topics 

• Alexis de Tocqueville’s views on voluntary associations
• Sing Sing prison education programme
• Prisoners’ views on the American dream 

Let us know what you think. Email [email protected]

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If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. 

His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville, author of arguably the best book ever written about America. 

When Tocqueville arrived in New York in 1831, it was a small, low-slung city where pigs roamed the streets. But he was able to see past that—to a vision of the future.

Arriving in Manhattan today, John finds cause for concern, even among the island’s wealthiest residents. 

Guests and Hosts

• John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
• Babara Tober, Philanthropist and former Editor of Brides magazine
• John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Group

Topics 

• Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
• ‘Equality of conditions’ at 250
• The election of Zohran Mamdani
• Declining faith in American democracy

Let us know what you think. Email [email protected]

To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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An interview with Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s president, a year into his role. Though he has stabilised a turbulent polity and overseen a stock market rally, the path ahead may be bumpy. Can India’s cockroach party become a powerful political movement? And celebrating the creator of “Persepolis”, Marjane Satrapi. 

Watch extended clips from Insider here

Guests and host:

• Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
• Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, North Korea
• Cockroach party, Narendra Modi, Gen-Z protests
• Marjane Satrapi, Iran, Persepolis

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Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international spectacle to draw attention to their causes. Commercial enterprises are on the cusp of making money in space: who will tax the heavens? And Narendra Modi is unsettling India’s middle class.

Guests and host:

• Hal Hodson, Americas editor
• Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
• Leo Mirani, Ashoka columnist
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• World Cup, Mexico, protests
• Space, taxation, global commons
• India, Modi 

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The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent embeds on a US nuclear submarine to find out how China and Russia are vying for dominance in the Pacific. And what anti-ageing products actually work? 

Guests and host:

• Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor
• Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
• Ainslie Johnstone, science correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Immigration, Britain, asylum
• Submarines, Pacific, geopolitics
• Ageing, wrinkles, retinoids, peptides

Listen 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.

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