One year on from Joe Biden’s inauguration David and Helen talk with Gary Gerstle about what’s gone wrong. What is the strategy behind this presidency? Has it tried to do too much or too little? And are the dark warnings of another American civil war really plausible? Plus we discuss whether the original American Civil War should really be used as the template for political breakdown.
Talking Points:
It’s hard to be a transformational president when your congressional margin is as slim as Biden’s is.
What would Biden’s presidency look like if Democrats did not have a majority in the Senate?
Are fears about a looming American civil war overblown?
Mentioned in this Episode:
Further Learning:
And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking
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Labour and Brexit: Beyond the Crisis
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David Miliband on the Crisis
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History of Ideas: Hobbes on the State
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