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.

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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

Get a world of insights by subscribing 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.