The Ballpark is a podcast from the LSE Phelan US Centre that examines the politics and policy of the United States. Each episode combines features and interviews with academics from the London School of Economics and other institutions. It aims to look behind the headlines and offer deeper, research-driven context on American political developments. Topics range across US domestic politics, foreign policy and the forces shaping current debates.
Episodes
LSE: The Ballpark | Is AI thinking about threatening humanity? with Dr Alessandra Buccella
Can AI systems go rogue? How and why might they be harmful to humans and society? Can AI think and understand in the way that people do? What is really going on behind the screen when you ask an AI bot a question or to perform a task for you?
Making sense of the US midterms 2026
On the 4th of November 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the event Making sense of the US midterms 2026.
LSE: The Ballpark | Courage and partisanship in US politics with Rye Barcott
Given the potential repercussions of trying to work across the aisle, for many in Washington DC, working in a bipartisan manner has become an act of courage.
LSE: The Ballpark | America as a revisionist power with Professor Phillips O’Brien
In the past decade, America has taken steps that appear deliberately designed to unmake the international order which it set up more than 50 years ago. This has led some commentators to argue that the US is now a revisionist power.
Power, responsibilities and resources | Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference
On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic.
Reforming the American federal republic | Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference
On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic.
Regional Devolution: pathway or roadblock? | Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference
On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic.
Rethinking the rules of political representation | Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic conference
On the 16th and 17th of October 2026 the LSE Phelan US Centre hosted the conference Taming polarization: Reforming the American federal republic.
LSE: The Ballpark | American constitutional failure with Professor Jack Rakove
President Donald Trump’s two terms in the White House have seen the president take a range of actions with congressional approval, leading to warnings from many commentators that America is in a state of constitutional crisis.
Jack Rakove in conversation with Larry Kramer
Is America experiencing a constitutional crisis, or have we reached the point of constitutional failure? At this LSE Phelan US Centre event, leading scholar on American constitutional history, Professor Jack Rakove, explored this question
LSE: The Ballpark | Predicting climate change with AI
Data is incredibly important in predicting climate change and its impacts. Now, climate scientists are increasingly using AI to help them interpret climate data and to make more accurate predictions about climate change and its impacts.
LSE: The Ballpark | Behavioural AI and decision-making with Professor Ganna Pogrebna
As the popularity of AI grows, this new technology is increasingly being applied to make decisions based on interactions with humans, and their behaviours. But what happens if the way these AI systems have been built mean that they get it wrong?
LSE: The Ballpark | How AI is influencing society with Dr Mona Sloane
Since the emergence of AI as a highly transformative force for modern society, many have faced challenges in updating their policies to address the potentially harmful effects of unrestricted AI development and integration into everyday life.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI and the gig economy with Dr Lindsey Cameron
From helping assign tasks and determine prices on delivery and rideshare platforms to recommending certain individuals over others on freelance hiring sites, AI is fast becoming a core part of the modern gig economy.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI harm, accountability, and cybersecurity with Dr Chinmayi Sharma
AI has become easily accessible, easy to use, and for many people, it’s a useful tool. This means that AI is being used by individuals and institutions to help solve a variety of challenges, from everyday decision-making to pressing global issues.
LSE: The Ballpark | How democratic citizenry can shape America’s role in the world - Master’s students essay competition 2026
In 2026, the Phelan US Centre ran an essay competition for LSE master’s students with the prompt, “What role can democratic citizenry play in shaping America’s role in the world as it enters its 250th year?"
LSE: The Ballpark | The Global Economy in a Changing World Order
The global economy is undergoing profound transformation. Geopolitical realignments, rising economic nationalism, climate disruption, trade fragmentation, and technological upheaval are reshaping the foundations of international economic relations.
LSE: The Ballpark | Rethinking the 1990s with Professors G. John Ikenberry and Peter Trubowitz
The 1990s were an important decade. They saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, falling trade barriers, an expanding capitalist democratic order and the rise of what came to be called the liberal international order.
LSE: The Ballpark | EU-China relations in the Trump era with Noah Barkin
The last two decades have seen significant growth in the relationship between China and the EU. Now, China is the EU’s biggest import and third-largest export partner. But this relationship is becoming increasingly one sided.
LSE: The Ballpark | Donald Trump and the unmaking of Europe with Professor Nathalie Tocci
While Trump’s foreign policy record has not been very successful elsewhere as wars continue to rage in Ukraine and in the Middle East, the exception is Europe which Trump seems to want to divide and weaken.
LSE: The Ballpark | China under siege: how Beijing sees the United States with Dr Yu Jie
The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls.
LSE: The Ballpark | Donald Trump and the future of US-EU relations with Professor Kathleen McNamara
Donald Trump’s first presidential term meant that many allies, including in the EU and Europe, were forced to consider the possibility that the United States could no longer be a reliable partner in global affairs.
LSE: The Ballpark | American foreign policy in the age of Trump with Professor Walter Russell Mead
To talk about Donald Trump’s foreign policy, in February 2026 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Walter Russell Mead
LSE: The Ballpark | After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy with Professor Ian Shapiro
From the rise of Donald Trump in the US, Brexit in the United Kingdom and Victor Orban in Hungary and National Rally in France, anti-system populists have seen a resurgence in many western democracies in the last decade.
LSE: The Ballpark | America first and the future of Eurasian geopolitics with Dr C Raja Mohan
From China’s growing influence in Europe to deepening Russia–China cooperation and the ripple effects of Trump’s America First policies, Eurasia has emerged as a single, highly contested geopolitical space.
LSE: The Ballpark | China’s Three Personality Problem with Professor Todd Hall
Understanding China’s role in the world has never been more important — or more complex. China projects itself variously as a moral global actor, a fiercely defensive power guarding its core interests, and a pragmatic, opportunistic player.
LSE: The Ballpark | America adrift with Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter
America is undergoing profound change. Demographic transformation, shifting global power dynamics, and a foreign policy establishment in transition are reshaping how the United States sees itself—and how the world responds.
LSE: The Ballpark | US-China relations in an era of illiberalism with Dr Scott Kennedy
To talk about the current state of US-China relations, in October 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
LSE: The Ballpark | “Is AI a threat or an opportunity for the US?” Master’s students essay competition for 2025
In 2025, the Phelan US Centre ran an essay competition for master’s students with a prompt about AI. In this episode we spoke to the author of the winning essay, Kayode Adeniyi, and the runners-up, Natasha Chávez and Francesca Nicolodi.
LSE: The Ballpark | How to help left behind regions and workers with Professor Gordon Hanson
The last 40 years have seen a sharp decline in America’s manufacturing industries with growing joblessness in previously prosperous industrial regions. How and why did this happen, and what can be done to help workers in these “left-behind places”?
LSE: The Ballpark | LSE at 130 and the United States with Professor Michael Cox
This year LSE is celebrating its 130th anniversary, and how it has driven change across the world. Much of LSE’s history is linked to the United States, from philanthropic support in the School's early days to famous alumni and American directors.
LSE: The Ballpark | The promise and peril of Trump’s America First with Professor Charles Kupchan
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has renewed his “America First” agenda by pursing a transactional approach to diplomacy and a desire to limit the US’ involvement overseas. This in turn is remoulding the global order.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI and deepfakes with Dr Gili Vidan
In the last decade or so, the the public have become aware of “deepfakes”, computer or AI generated fake images. The spread of deepfakes raises questions about truth and authenticity online – can we still trust what we see on screen?
LSE: The Ballpark | Autocracy 2.0: How China’s Rise Reinvented Tyranny with Dr Jennifer Lind
The last three decades have seen China’s economic rise. Alongside this, China has become much more influential on the global stage, emerging as a competitor to the United States in many arenas, including as a technology and innovation leader.
LSE: The Ballpark | US-China strategic competition with Professor Evan Medeiros
In August 2025, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held its 25th annual summit in Tianjin, China. The absence of the United States in this gathering may tell us about how China is competing with the US and building its own global order.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI, social media, and political disinformation with Dr Josephine Lukito
To talk about social media and politics, and how AI can help spread – or tackle – disinformation, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Dr Josephine Lukito, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media.
Take our Ballpark podcast survey and you could win £250 in vouchers!
Ahead of our 10 year anniversary in 2026, and after more than 140 episodes speaking to academic experts on topics from across the social sciences, we'd like to find out what you think about the podcast with a listener survey.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI and the workplace with Professor Ifeoma Ajunwa
AI is now increasingly playing a role in many parts of our lives, and the workplace is no exception. AI is now being used by employers to help them to recruit new staff and by jobseekers in their applications.
LSE: The Ballpark | Who is liable for AI? With Dr Anat Lior
AI has legal consequences. Who is responsible when AI makes a mistake which causes harm or financial loss? What role does government regulation play, and do we need to revise our legal frameworks in the face of increasingly capable AI?
LSE: The Ballpark | AI automation and the workforce with Dr Baobao Zhang
With the growth of the capability of artificial intelligence (AI), there is growing concern that this technology could make millions of jobs – and their workers – obsolete.
LSE: The Ballpark | Might unmakes right with Professor Oona Hathaway
In an article in the July/August edition of Foreign Affairs magazine, “Might Unmakes Right:
LSE: The Ballpark | The US’ changing relationship with NATO and Europe with Dr Celeste Wallander
In an article in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, “Beware the Europe You Wish For, The Downsides and Dangers of Allied Independence”,
LSE: The Ballpark | The Administrative State with Professor Kimberley S. Johnson
In July 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kimberley S. Johnson about the recent history of the US administrative state and racial representation in the US government and administration
LSE: The Ballpark | Deemphasizing Nuclear Weapons in Nuclear Deterrence with Dr Lauren Sukin
In response to what the US sees as potential growing threats from China and North Korea, nuclear weapons are becoming a more and more important part of US alliance commitments and partnerships in East Asia
LSE: The Ballpark | The US-China AI race with Professor Angela Zhang
In January 2025, the release of a new model and chatbot by Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company, DeepSeek, sent shockwaves through the tech industry in the US and elsewhere.
LSE: The Ballpark | The US and India–Pakistan tensions with Lisa Curtis
On the May 7th, 2025, India launched missile strikes on Pakistan in response to a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on April 22nd.
LSE: The Ballpark | International Relations and Democracy in a Multipolar World
The US-led international order is under strain from without and within. Authoritarian powers such as Russia and China are challenging the core tenets of global cooperation and conflict management.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI and intellectual property with Dr Bhamati Viswanathan
Many institutions are now using artificial intelligence (AI) models as tools to think about solutions to a variety of challenges, from the everyday to the global.
LSE: The Ballpark | The state of American democracy with Professor Michael Latner
The Phelan US Centre spoke to Michael Latner, Professor of Political Science at California Polytechnic State University and Director of Research on Democratic Reform at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School
LSE: The Ballpark | The Origins of the US-China Chip War with Dr John Minnich
In March 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to John Minnich, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at LSE about why semiconductors are so important in the global economy.
LSE: The Ballpark | Cultivating Democracy with Professor Mukulika Banerjee
In February 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to spoke to Mukulika Banerjee, Professor in LSE’s Department of Anthropology.
LSE: The Ballpark | US-China strategic stability with Dr Nicola Leveringhaus
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has brought the spectre of potential nuclear conflict back into the public consciousness for the first time in decades.
LSE: The Ballpark | Donald Trump and the far-right with Dr Rachel Blum
Donald Trump’s links to the right, including the far right and the alt-right date back to least to his 2016 presidential campaign and continued through his first term and then into his 2024 election campaign .
LSE: The Ballpark | US-China relations under the new Trump administration with Professor Minxin Pei
President Trump has made his feelings about US competition with China plain; one of the early acts of his second presidential term has been to place tariffs on Chinese imports.
LSE: The Ballpark | The international order and US-China competition with Professor Shiping Tang
In the past decade, many commentators have increasingly spoken of growing competition between the United States and China in areas like trade, industrial policy, but also on foreign policy and global influence more generally.
LSE: The Ballpark | The Evolution of American Chip Controls on China with Dr Douglas Fuller
In December 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke Dr Douglas Fuller, Associate Professor in the Department of International Economics, Government and Business at Copenhagen Business School.
LSE: The Ballpark | China and technology export controls with Michael Mastanduno and Jennifer Lind
In October 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Michael Mastanduno, Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government at Dartmouth College, and Dr Jennifer Lind, Associate Professor of Government at Dartmouth College.
LSE: The Ballpark | America and the Asian 21st Century with Professor Kishore Mahbubani
In November 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore.
LSE: The Ballpark | China’s evolving approach to economic security with Professor Yeling Tan
In October 2024 the LSE Phelan US Centre spoke to Yeling Tan, Professor of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. They spoke about how China understands economic security and its evolving economic strategy.
LSE: The Ballpark | AI and elections with Professor Lawrence Lessig
In October 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to spoke to Lawrence Lessig, the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School.
LSE: The Ballpark | The West and the failure of democracy in the Middle East with Professor Fawaz Gerges
In October 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at LSE, about his new book, “What Really Went Wrong: The West and the failure of democracy in the Middle East”.
LSE: The Ballpark | The social media spiral of silence with Nick Lewis
In September 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Nick Lewis, a PhD student in LSE’s Department of Government and a recipient of a Phelan US Centre PhD Summer Research Grant in 2022, about how social media creates bias in democratic deliberation.
LSE: The Ballpark | Why America Can’t Retrench with Dr Peter Harris
In September 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Peter Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science at Colorado State University about his new book, Why America Can’t Retrench (And How It Might).
LSE: The Ballpark | Faculty-student research collaborations with Evelyne Ong
In August 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Evelyne Ong, an undergraduate research assistant with the Phelan US Centre for the 2023-24 academic year.
LSE: The Ballpark | Master’s students essay competition on capitalism
In 2024, the Phelan US Centre ran an essay competition for master’s students with the prompt, ““How should the United States work to shape the future of capitalism in this age of insecurity?”.
LSE: The Ballpark | US Industrial Policy with Professor Nathan Lane
In July 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Nathan Lane, Associate Professor in Economics at Oxford University, about industrial policy in the United States and its history.
LSE: The Ballpark | Black Immigrant Literacies with Professor Patriann Smith
In 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Patriann Smith, professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida.
LSE: The Ballpark | Gray Areas with Professor Adia Harvey Wingfield
In June 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Adia Harvey Wingfield, the Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Arts & Sciences and Vice Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity at Washington University in St. Louis.
LSE: The Ballpark | Parliamentary America with Professor Maxwell Stearns
In May 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Maxwell Stearns, the Venable, Baetjer & Howard Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law about his new book, Parliamentary America.
LSE: The Ballpark | US Nuclear Strategy in a Changing Indo-Pacific
In June 2024, the LSE Phelan US Centre held the conference, US Nuclear Strategy in a Changing Indo-Pacific.
LSE: The Ballpark | US Foreign Policy and Power with Professor Jeff Legro
In May 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Jeff Legro, University Professor at the University of Richmond, and Visiting Professor at the Phelan US Centre for 2023-24.
LSE: The Ballpark | The media, truth, and reality with Brooke Gladstone
In 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Brooke Gladstone, host and Managing Editor of WNYC’s On the Media about the US’ changing media landscape, and how we can teach the next generation to be better media consumers.
LSE: The Ballpark | The Bomb with Fred Kaplan
In May 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to author and journalist for Slate magazine and Phelan US Centre Visiting Senior Fellow, Fred Kaplan about his 2020 book, The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade | LSE Phelan US Centre Event
How did China—the world’s largest communist nation—converge with global capitalism? And when did this occur?
Will the US remain the world’s superpower?
The idea of an America in decline has gained traction in recent years and has, of course, been capitalized on by President Trump. Is America’s ‘greatness’ under threat?
LSE: The Ballpark | The Ecology of Nations: American Democracy in a Fragile World Order with Professor John Owen
In 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor John Owen, Ambassador Henry J. and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Professor of Politics, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, and an Academic Visitor at Nuffield College, University of Oxford from January to June 2024.
They discussed his new book, ‘The Ecology o
LSE: The Ballpark | Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade with Dr Elizabeth Ingleson
In April 2024, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Dr Elizabeth Ingleson, Assistant Professor in the Department of International History and Centre Affiliate, about her new book, Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade.
LSE: The Ballpark | The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace with Professor Elizabeth Saunders
In March 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Elizabeth Saunders, Professor of Political Science at Columbia University about her new book, ‘The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace’ and the role of elites in US foreign policymaking.
LSE: The Ballpark | Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy with Professor Jennifer Carlson
In March 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Jennifer Carlson of Arizona State University, and 2022 MacArthur Fellow, about her new book, Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy.
LSE: The Ballpark | Latino Voters in the United States with Professor Jason Casellas
In March 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Jason Casellas about how the role of Latino voters in the United States and their changing voting patterns. They also discuss how Latino voters might influence the 2024 presidential election.
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