Politics on the Couch
Rafael Behr examines how our minds respond to politics and how politicians mess with our minds. In each episode an expert from the world of politics, psychology, history or philosophy joins Raf on our 'couch' to discuss what's driving our political thought and behaviour.
Episodes
Why Populists Are Winning (and How To Beat Them)
Rafael Behr talks to the Rt Hon. Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill & Solihull North, Chair of the Commons Business & Trade Committee, former minister under Blair & Brown, and author of Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them.They cover:The "three chords" of populism — national renewal, nostalgia, and crisis. Liam breaks down the deep emotional structure behind ever
Hypocrisy – why we hate it and why we can’t do without it
Rafael Behr talks to behavioural scientist Dr Michael Hallsworth about his new book, “The Hypocrisy Trap: How Changing What We Criticise Can Improve Our Lives.”They discuss:How the concept of hypocrisy first emerged as part of an evolutionary status game; How calling others out can be more powerful than proclaiming our own virtue; Why we might tolerate some ‘polite’ hypocrisy at home but
Can Democracy Survive Social Media?
Politics feels angrier, harsher and more tribal than it used to - but how much of the blame can be laid at the door of social media?Rafael Behr talks to NYU Psychologist Professor Jay Van Bavel, about how our ancient group instincts collide with 'god-like' digital technology to distort what we see, reward outrage, and erode trust in democratic institutions. Drawing on datasets of millions of
Changing minds about immigration
Rafael Behr talks to Dr. Tessa Buchanan, a former civil servant and now an academic at Cambridge’s Political Psychology Lab, about the psychology behind changing how some voters think about outsiders or immigrants, revealing why she believes attitudes aren’t always as fixed or hostile as they may seem.From the media’s obsession with “small boats” to conflicting anxieties about national identity, R
How to break the ‘democratic doom loop’
Rafael Behr talks to Demos' CEO Polly Curtis about the urgent case for upgrading our democracy and repairing the broken relationship between citizen and state.The conversation is loosely based around this new Demos paper released today (2 July) that sets out the challenges of the global democratic emergency, how this is threatening the political landscape in Britain and what we can do about it. Ho
Appetite for Chaos: Why some voters just want to watch the world burn
Host Rafael Behr is joined by political scientist Prof. Michael Bang Petersen, whose research challenges the common belief that those who share misinformation are simply uninformed or gullible.Instead, Petersen suggest that many of these individuals are politically savvy and highly motivated, not by truth, but by the usefulness of information in advancing their political goals.The conversation als
'Post-Pandemic Politics' – Did Covid change everything? Did it change anything?
A conversation between Rafael Behr and writer and broadcaster David Aaronovitch, about ripples from the pandemic that still shape politics, with a digression on the ways that Britain is not America and whether that makes 'Maga-populism' less contagious.LinksDavid Aaronovitch's substack - https://davidaaronovitch.substack.comBBC's Briefing Room presented by David Aaronovitch - https://www.bbc.co.u
Five Years: Our Brains Hurt A Lot
An anniversary episode in which host Rafael Behr and producer Philip Berman look back over a tumultuous time and ponder what they have learned from putting politics on the couch.Links to Politics on the Couch episodes discussed in this podcastAnti-vaxxers – fear, anxiety and the psychology of misinformation The authoritarian personality - why some voters feel drawn to populism and how to lure them
'The Ideological Brain' – Are Some People Hard-wired for Radicalisation?
To coincide with the launch of her new book (The Ideological Brain - A Radical Science of Susceptible Minds) Rafael Behr talks to Dr Leor Zmigrod, a political psychologist and neuroscientist, about the ingredients of dogmatic thinking, why some of us are more prone than others, and how we can protect ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Red Wall, Blue Wall, Grey Area - a conversation about voter volatility with Professor Paula Surridge
Rafael Behr talks to Paula Surridge Professor of Political Sociology about the fragmentation of support for the two big parties since Brexit, what's causing it and what it means for parties trying to maintain their voter coalitions.Questions also covered:What drives support for Reform UK, and how vulnerable is their voter base?Are the Liberal Democrats benefiting from tactical voting, and can they
'System Fail' - a conversation with Sam Freedman about the way Britain's broken politics can suffocate even the best intentions.
Host Rafael Behr talks to author, policy expert and podcaster Sam Freedman about his new book Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix ItSam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and an Ark Schools adviser. He writes about policy and politics for numerous outlets, including the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. With
‘The gen Z revolution’ - how a student protest toppled a corrupt and violent government
In a week of protests, counter-protests and riots in the UK, 5000 miles away in Bangladesh student-led uprising led to 300 people being killed, the toppling of a corrupt PM and violent regime, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner being installed as head a new interim government. In this edition, we're talking about the violent and momentous events in Bangladesh with award-winning British-born inves
Is this what hope feels like? Rafael Behr's reflections on Labour's 2024 victory
In this summer bonus episode, Raf and (producer) Phil discuss the changing mood around British politics since Labour's election victory, the restoration of seriousness after years of triviality, why some people can't adapt, why others want to believe that Keir Starmer can deliver the change he has promised and whether they are right.Links to stuff mentioned in the podcastMore in Common r
Going Ape - a conversation about evolution, morality and political cooperation
In this edition host Rafael Behr talks to Nichola Raihani, Professor of Evolution and Behaviour in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland.She's also the author of, 'The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World'Professor Raihani has unique insight into a problem that has appeared in various forms on this podcast over the years.It's a question of collective action, solidarit
Doom audit - a conversation with Jonathan Freedland about America, Israel, liberal angst and the unravelling West
In the wake of October 7th and Trump's bid to become US President again, Rafael Behr sits down with fellow Guardian columnist and friend - Jonathan Freedland - to discuss the current state of geopolitics, liberal politics, Israel and Jewish identity.Events featuring Rafael BehrShoreham, West Sussex, Wed 24 AprilAn evening with Guardian columnist Rafael Behr and television producer R
Moving the needle - Tom Gray of Gomez on swapping the recording studio for the campaign trail, and what being in a band teaches you about politics.
Rafael Behr talks to Tom Gray from Gomez about his bid to become a Brighton MP.Tom's had a hugely successful career in music with Gomez rocketing to fame in 1998, beating Pulp and Massive Attack, among others, to the Mercury Prize.More recently he launched the Broken Record campaign, calling for a fairer deal for musicians from streaming services, among other industry reforms.And now, having bange
'Bonus Couch Chat'
In a departure from our normal format Rafael Behr (host) and Philip Berman (the show's producer) agreed to press record when they met yesterday (Thursday 28 September) to discuss a new series idea for Politics on the Couch.And this podcast is the end result, instead of a meta-cast talking about what we could talk about this Autumn, it's more of a casual ramble around Phil's break from Twitter, his
'Beyond the Red Wall'
Raf Behr talks to journalist, author and broadcaster David Aaronovitch about his recent visit to the National Conservatives conference, and what it taught him about state of the Tory party.They discuss:Was there really a re-alignment in British politics post-Brexit?What do the Nat Cons have to offer us Brits apart from hardline anti-immigration vibes?Why do some parts of the commentariat spend so
'Beyond parody' - a conversation with Rob Hutton about political journalism and its complex relationship with power
Rafael Behr talks to Rob Hutton, parliamentary sketch writer at the Critic, about the uneasy relationship between Westminster lobby journalists and MPs.Often political journalists cultivate close relationships with politicians to find out what's really happening in the corridors of power.But does a journalist's 'insider status' cloud their judgement when working out how to write about political st
Trapped! Democracy's struggle to cope with modern life and what we can do to help – a conversation with Professor Ben Ansell.
On this edition Rafael Behr talks to Professor Ben Ansell about his new book Why Politics Fails: The Five Traps of the Modern World & How to Escape ThemBen Ansell is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. He was made Fellow of the British Academy in 2018, among the youngest fellows at that time. His work has been widely covered in the m
Kindness - a conversation about political empathy, its power and its limits, with Claudia Hammond
Host Rafael Behr talks to Claudia Hammond about political empathy, its power and its limits.Claudia is probably best known as the presenter of BBC Radio 4's long-running show, 'All in the Mind' which covers psychology, neuroscience & mental health.She is also the Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex.Her latest book, 'The Keys to Kindness,' lo
Contrarianism, social media and the future of culture wars - a conversation with Atlantic writer Helen Lewis
In this wide-ranging and informal conversation*, Rafael Behr chats to former colleague Helen Lewis about whether Whatsapp has changed the way politics is conducted, her favourite Tik Tok channel, the incestous nature of Scottish politics, what's really behind the UK government's immigration policy, what we can learn from Florida culture wars, why the middle ground is so hard to occupy, what we hav
Populism, democracy and the parliamentary battle over Brexit
Rafael Behr talks to Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit and co-author, along with Research Fellow Lisa James, of a new book called: The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit, a detailed account of the extraordinary way the Brexit process played out in parliament.Since the 2016 referendum, the hotly contested issue of Brexit has raised fundamental questions about the workings of British demo
Party People - a stroll around the grassroots of democracy
Host Rafael Behr talks to Prof. Tim Bale about why people join political parties and how the members impact democracy.Topics covered inlcude:what people get from joining a political party;what parties get from their members;why membership of parties has declined;in particular why so many Conservative women joined, and then left in their droves;how membership differs between the two major parties;h
The French Connection - myth and misunderstanding across the Channel
Ahead of the first bilateral summit between the two countries' leaders for five years, Rafael Behr talks to Georgina Wright, from the Institut Montaigne in Paris, about what the French really think about us Brits, and what we often get wrong about French discourse, customs and political culture. Quite a lot, as it happens.Georgina Wright is Senior Fellow and Director of Institut Montaigne’s Europe
'The world's a stage' - politics and storytelling with James Graham
In this edition, Rafael Behr talks to England's most prodigious political screenwriter and playwright - James Graham.He's probably most well known for writing the recent BBC1 hit drama 'Sherwood', which aired on BBC One in 2022 to rave reviews, and will return for a second series.James also wrote Quiz (ITV) in 2020, which was one of the most watched UK television dramas of the year; and Brexit: An
Procrastination - the politics of putting off hard choices and why it's so bad for democracy
Host Rafael Behr talks to Fuschia Sirois, Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University, and co-Editor-in-Chief at the British Journal Of Health Psychology, about procrastination.In this free-flowing conversation, Fuschia and Rafael talk about what procrastination is, how it impacts politics and public policy, what we can do about it, and why Rafael may have incorrectly compared h
'Putinophilia' - how America's radical right fell for a Kremlin strongman, a conversation with Anne Applebaum
One year on from Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, host Rafael Behr talks to Anne Applebaum about why so many US Republicans and conservatives are still seduced by Putin’s anti-West rhetoric and tropes.Anne, a Pullitzer-prize winning historian, is particularly well positioned to discuss this, and associated issues, given that her most recent book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritar
'Bregret' - how is Britain coping with a Brexit that nobody loves?
In this episode host Rafael Behr talks to Prof Anand Menon about what the latest polling on 'bregret' means for identity politics, Starmer's strategy on future EU relations, and the economic and democratic health of the UK.Anand Menon is Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London in the United Kingdom, and was appointed in January 2014 as director of the UK in a Ch
Consciousness - a deep dive into the politics of brain science with Anil Seth
Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex alongside other eminent roles in the field of advanced research into the nature of consciousness and perception. His bestselling book ‘Being You: A New Science of Consciousness’ is a masterpiece of making complex scientific issues accessible to the non-expert reader. Anil demonstrates that same skill in
The authoritarian personality - why some voters feel drawn to populism and how to lure them away
In this episode host Rafael Behr talks to Dr Karen Stenner, the political psychologist & behavioral economist best known for long ago predicting the rise of Trump-like figures under the kinds of conditions we now confront. Her research on authoritarianism and 'Far Right' politics uses psychological theories and methods (in particular, Randomized Controlled Trials) to explain human behaviour.Sh
The authenticity gap - can Labour seize the post-Boris moment? (recorded the day he resigned)
Rafael Behr talks to pollster and political strategist James Johnson about what's next for Labour, a matter of minutes after PM Johnson announced his resignation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Megacrisis - how the world's problems piled up - a conversation with Helen Thompson
This week, Rafael Behr and Professor Helen Thompson discuss her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century.The book, which was released on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, recounts three histories—one about geopolitics, one about the world economy, and one about western democracies.She explains how a confluence of different crises, building over many years, has created the c
Is Democracy Rational? A conversation with Steven Pinker
Human beings routinely make terrible choices but humanity still achieves amazing things.How does this paradox work?And is it still working when technology seems to amplify the worst in us.In this episode, Politics on the Couch host Rafael Behr talks to Professor Steven Pinker about the constant struggle between evidence and emotion for control of the political agenda; whether truth and fact are wi
Order and chaos - why the left keeps losing
In this episode Rafael Behr talks to Cambridge University political psychologist Dr Lee de-Wit about the problem with progressive arguments over patriotism, and Labour's constant struggle to connect with socially conservative voters.Links mentioned in this episode:Dr Lee de-Wit's Cambridge University homepage https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/people/lee-de-witArnold Kling's bookhttps://cdn.cato.org/li
Empire State of Mind, with Sathnam Sanghera
"Britain's vast colonial project, amassed over centuries and covering a quarter of the world at its height, is unavoidable in any discussion of race and identity in modern Britain."Our host Rafael Behr talks to Sathnam Sanghera about his latest book - Empireland - that delves into our imperial legacy, how it shapes our nation, our culture and defines so much of our politics to this day.Sathnam has
Radicalisation - how minds go to extremes, and how to turn them back
Rafael Behr talks to Cognitive Scientist of Political Violence, Nafees Hamid, about what makes extremists tick and how to change their minds. Nafees discusses the conditions that push people towards extremist ideologies and whether a martyr's mind is wired differently to the rest of us. Along the way, Rafael and Nafees explore identity, sacred values, devoted actors, and how extremists can be wa
Fear of Change - Matt d'Ancona on fixing a broken politics
Rafael Behr talks to Matt d'Ancona about his new book: 'Identity, Ignorance, Innovation: Why the Old Politics is Useless - and what to do about it.'https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Identity-Ignorance-Innovation-by-Matthew-DAncona-author/9781529303995They discuss why the 'liberal left' needs to adapt to a new politics that is being shaped much more by digital networks and identity politics
Optimism - how we're drawn to the bright side, even in a pandemic
Rafael Behr talks to neuroscientist and author Tali Sharot about the optimism hard-wired into our thought processes, how it affects the way we look at the world – and what it means for politics. The conversation also covers the relationship between emotion and reason, how we should respect some of the more primitive parts of our brains, what messages work best to encourage people to act on climate
Identity – David Baddiel on Jewishness, antisemitism (and a bit about football)
Rafael Behr talks to author and comedian David Baddiel about his book “Jews Don't Count” – a closely argued polemic about the failure of progressive-left politics to treat antisemitism with the same moral rigour as is applied to other kinds of racism.The frank and at times raw conversation deals with the social and cultural dimensions of one of history's oldest prejudices, as well as the individua
Anti-vaxxers – fear, anxiety and the psychology of misinformation
Rafael Behr explores the causes of resistance to vaccine science and its links with far-right propaganda with Imran Ahmed, founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The chat ranges from the emotional vulnerabilities that lead people to take comfort from conspiracy theories to the political obligations on social media companies to help defend democracy from malevolent, weaponised lies.Alon
Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021: What happens next?
Host Rafael Behr answers some listeners' questions and looks ahead to the challenges facing the main political parties in 2021 as they try to navigate their way through a pandemic, levelling up, calls for Scottish independence and the reality of Brexit. Plus, reflections on the future for remainers and the prospects for a campaign to re-join the EU. Also features one book recommendation and a ver
'Dissonance Theory' – why no-one says they were wrong
Host Rafael Behr talks to Dr Carol Tavris about the mental obstacles that stop us from admitting that we may have made a mistake. Dr Tavris is a pre-eminent social psychologist specialising in the field of cognitive dissonance and co-author of “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)”, a seminal book on the subject that was recently updated to include a chapter on Donald Trump's support base.Carol has
Nostalgia - canvassing the politics of memory lane
Politics on the Couch host Rafael Behr talks to Professors Constantine Sedikides and Tim Wildschut of the University of Southampton, about the way people narrate the stories of their past, what they get from the process and the way political campaigns can exploit those feelings. Prof. Constantine Sedikideshttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/psychology/about/staff/cs2.pageProf Tim Wildschuthttps://www.so
The Madness of King Don - a journey to the dark side of charisma, with Drew Westen
In the aftermath of the US presidential election, Rafael Behr talks to Professor Drew Westen about different forms of charisma, the struggle to communicate liberal arguments to Republican voters and the symptoms of severe personality disorder exhibited by Donald Trump.Drew Westen is a professor in the Psychology and Psychiatry Department at Emory University, Atlanta Georgia. He is also a political
Election Anxiety - Trump, the media and fear for American democracy
In this bonus episode, podcast host Rafael Behr turns to his old friend and New York Times columnist Ben Smith for analysis of the state of US politics a week before the biggest election in living memory, and for reassurance that, maybe, everything is gonna be alright. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Political Animal - a breed apart?
Rafael Behr speaks to social anthropologist Emma Crewe about parliament; what makes MPs tick, the psychological mechanisms they need to function in one of the country's weirdest workplaces - and their relationship with journalists. Professor Crewe, of SOAS, University of London, is the only anthropologist to have been based inside the Palace of Westminster, having spent years embedded in both the
Brexit and the revolutionary mentality, with Fintan O'Toole
In this episode Rafael Behr speaks to celebrated Irish author and journalist Fintan O'Toole about their shared fascination with nationalism and the myths of foreign oppression that fired a very English revolution. Also featuring digressions on the Scottish independence movement, Irish attitudes to Brexit and the Italian Job.Fintan O'Toole is a historian, critic and cultural commentator; author of
Truth, lies and statistics - Rafael Behr meets Tim Harford
This week Rafael Behr talks to Tim Harford, BBC Radio 4's presenter of More or Less and FT columist, about his new book: How To Make The World Add Up. Tim Harford writes the Undercover Economist column for the FT and was previously an economics leader writer for the FT. He is also the author of seven books, including the million-selling, The Undercover Economist and before that, Fifty Things That
Farewell to normal?
Host Rafael Behr looks ahead to a new political season that promises to be like none in recent memory and reflects on a lost summer of coronavirus denial, with some digressions on party conferences, Brexit and Cliff Richard.This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We can log out but can we ever leave? Helen Lewis talks about the trouble with Twitter
This week Rafael Behr and Helen Lewis discuss social media's corrosive effect on politics and public discourse, and how we can all respond.Helen Lewis is a staff writer at the Atlantic, was deputy editor at the New Statesman, presents BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, and is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's News Quiz. She's written a book about the history of feminism, is ambivalent towards Twit
Trust in the Time of Coronavirus
This week, Rafael Behr talks to Bobby Duffy from The Policy Institute at King's College London about trust in the government during the Coronavirus pandemic and how our identities and cognitive biases affect who we trust in politics. Topics discussed in order1-4 Fall-out from Dominic Cummings;Public health messaging during lock-down;Stats coronavirus tests it says it’s been carrying out;Bobby Duf
Has Cummings cut through - in all the wrong ways?
In this bonus edition Rafael Behr takes a break from his lock-down holiday to ask - what is 'political cut-through' and why Dominic Cummings appears to have cut so deep into the national conversation? In the midst of a pandemic, has a political mover renowned for capturing the mood of nation misjudged it this time? NB This episode was recorded on the morning of 26 May before any post-conference op
How does it feel ? In conversation with Parliament's only politician and psychotherapist
This week Rafael Behr talks to The Lord John Alderdice about his incredible life as a politician, psychiatrist and psychotherapist.They discuss how his formative years living in Northern Ireland influenced his decision to train as a psychiatrist and then psychotherapist; how this then informed his whole approach to politics and his political philosophy; and how it also helped him as a key negotiat
How pandemics affect our political brain
This week our host Rafael Behr is in conversation with Dr Leor Zmigrod about how cognitive science can help us understand how political identities are formed, and how people's ideological affiliations might affect how they respond to a national crisis.If you want to delve further into the topic Reader-friendly essaysZmigrod, L. (2019). The partisan brain: cognitive study suggests people on the lef
