Power Problems

80
Government #121

Power Problems is a bi-weekly podcast from the Cato Institute. Host John Glaser offers a skeptical take on U.S. foreign policy, and discusses today’s big questions in international security with distinguished guests from across the political spectrum. Podcast Hashtag: #FPPowerProblems.


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

Recent Episodes
  • Why America Needs to Change Its Nuclear Weapons Posture
    Apr 15, 2025 – 47:14
  • India’s Quest for Major Power Status
    Apr 1, 2025 – 49:20
  • Strategic Empathy & the Roots of the Ukraine War
    Mar 18, 2025 – 50:49
  • The Return of Bipolarity
    Mar 4, 2025 – 45:20
  • Reconsidering US Strategy in Europe & Asia
    Feb 18, 2025 – 38:07
  • Trump, Conquest, & the Laws of War
    Feb 4, 2025 – 42:10
  • The AI Competition with China
    Jan 21, 2025 – 44:15
  • Perverse Incentives in the Permanent War Economy
    Jan 7, 2025 – 39:46
  • Negotiating Peace in Ukraine
    Dec 24, 2024 – 42:42
  • The Fall of Assad & Syria's Uncertain Future
    Dec 10, 2024 – 46:55
  • How Not to Fix U.S. Foreign Policy
    Nov 26, 2024 – 42:42
  • Foreign Policy in the Second Trump Term
    Nov 12, 2024 – 48:00
  • The Trouble with Tariffs and the Future of Trade
    Oct 29, 2024 – 46:14
  • Status, Revisionism, & US-China Relations
    Oct 15, 2024 – 42:04
  • Is Whataboutism Effective?
    Oct 1, 2024 – 39:08
  • Why Can't America Retrench?
    Sep 17, 2024 – 51:46
  • Not Another Axis of Evil
    Sep 3, 2024 – 43:53
  • The Pentagon’s Budgetary Time Bomb
    Aug 20, 2024 – 40:44
  • The Rising Costs of Overseas Military Bases
    Aug 6, 2024 – 58:12
  • Security Dilemmas, Great Powers, & International Order
    Jul 22, 2024 – 54:23
  • Should America Let Europe Defend Itself?
    Jul 10, 2024 – 41:53
  • Ukraine, NATO, and the End of the War
    Jun 25, 2024 – 32:01
  • Why Security Assistance Fails
    Jun 11, 2024 – 46:47
  • Classical Realism, Purpose, and the Rise of China
    May 28, 2024 – 50:22
  • The Trouble with US Support for Israel & Ukraine
    May 14, 2024 – 56:46
  • Drones, Secrecy, and Endless War
    Apr 30, 2024 – 53:00
  • Regional "Push Factors" in the Emigration Upsurge
    Apr 16, 2024 – 43:20
  • Reevaluating the "Special Relationship" with Israel
    Apr 6, 2024 – 33:58
  • The Economics of Great Power War & Peace
    Mar 19, 2024 – 1:08:05
  • The Hard Choice of Retrenchment
    Mar 5, 2024 – 57:08
  • The Will to Hegemony
    Feb 20, 2024 – 49:58
  • Elite Politics & the Hawkish Bias in US Foreign Policy
    Feb 6, 2024 – 1:02:44
  • Managing Instability in Europe, Asia, & the Middle East
    Jan 23, 2024 – 42:40
  • Arms, Influence, and the Military Industrial Complex
    Jan 9, 2024 – 41:02
  • The Middle East Is a Powder Keg. Washington Is Making It Worse
    Dec 26, 2023 – 38:02
  • The Economic War on China Is Self-Defeating
    Dec 12, 2023 – 49:58
  • "Credibility" Is Not What You Think It Is
    Nov 28, 2023 – 44:46
  • The Realism of Reinhold Niebuhr
    Nov 14, 2023 – 34:20
  • Israel, Gaza, and America’s Broken Middle East Policy
    Oct 31, 2023 – 46:50
  • America Is Eroding the International Order
    Oct 17, 2023 – 43:20
  • Human Psychology and Nuclear Brinkmanship
    Oct 3, 2023 – 43:49
  • Middling Powers & U.S. Decline
    Sep 19, 2023 – 40:26
  • Can the “Restraint Coalition” Endure?
    Sep 5, 2023 – 45:52
  • Tripwires, Public Opinion, & War
    Aug 22, 2023 – 51:38
  • The Perils of Being the World's Biggest Arms Trafficker
    Aug 8, 2023 – 47:06
  • Social Science, Think Tanks, & National Security Policy
    Jul 25, 2023 – 52:31
  • India, the Swing State?
    Jul 11, 2023 – 47:37
  • The National Security Implications of Artificial Intelligence
    Jun 27, 2023 – 36:18
  • Nobody Wins in Ukraine
    Jun 13, 2023 – 44:58
  • Managing China, Avoiding War
    May 30, 2023 – 55:33
Recent Reviews
  • jdubinMKE
    Weak analysis
    The recurrent attacks by Hamas on Israel are existential. Even when you rely on the questionable numbers given by Hamas, the ratio of civilian to combatant casualties is likely the lowest in the history of warfare. IDF is understandably cautious but saying they are indiscriminate or that the war is simply an example of collective punishment is untrue. The host never challenges the guest.
  • Harmony4USA
    Biden’s Foreign Policy Promise aka Trump did it all wrong
    Very disappointing episode. Trump certainly wasn’t perfect and his approach to foreign policy was not conventional. Yet he accomplished some positives and some negatives. Biden is the return to the norm- some positive some negatives. The biggest negative being the US will bear the brunt of cost. The guest go from an acceptable conversation of what Biden has done to a rant on how wrong Trumps approach was. Frankly Trump was right to sanction Russia AND tell Europe to begin paying the price agreed to by Obama.
  • Andieo1997
    Brilliant!
    This is the perfect choice for anyone interested in learning more about foreign policy! Each episode is informative and enjoyable.
  • enelsonpa
    Stabilizing Great Power Rivalry Episode
    Walt’s evident answer for solving great power rivalry is to dissolve NATO and elect a Republican as President. None of Prof Walt’s total critiques of NATO and Biden would hold up if an objective expert had been in the room.
  • PNHLimey
    3-May-2022 | Paul Pillar Drivel
    The TDS is strong in this one!
  • jeallen92
    Wonderful show
    The guests are always compelling and clearly know what they’re talking about. John Glaser is a fantastic host
  • BurCap
    Great podcast
    This is one of the best IR/foreign policy podcasts out there. I look forward to every episode.
  • Otis Junior Nixon Jr.
    This dude from Swarthmore is an idiot.
    I can’t believe he’s a professor. He doesn’t know the first thing about Vietnam, Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan.
  • SeminoleJack
    This is great stuff!
    Love all foreign policy and IR stuff but particularly the discussions on civil-military relations.
  • Donut Officer
    Bipolar
    Love it and Hate it. I enjoy the focus on liberty in domestic policy and find the foreign relations application prone to failure. Surprised to hear governance experts supporting CVN-71 CO, but maybe that is a libertarian policy error.
  • Brad Davies
    Intro sound too loud
    Truly great pod. Either intro music goes on too long or it needs to be more muted when the host begins talking. They sound more clashing than complementary.
  • Zhacklander
    Non-interventionist stalwarts
    This podcast has the best takes on non-interventionist policy out of any political organization.
  • Bathe great
    Cato
    Awesome great
  • capreble
    Always great guests and even better discussions
    This show covers a range of interesting topics and is always timely and topical. I especially like hearing how guests came to be interested in foreign and defense policy as a career. Give it a listen!
  • Evan K. Summers
    Excellent Balanced & Digestable
    I’m by no means a international affairs wink but I find this skeptical view of US foreign policy to be helpful for me to understand the world and news around me.
  • Chyron HDTV
    Best foreign policy podcast!
    This is really the best international relations / defense podcast out there, and it’s still so new! They have great guests and it is very well produced.
  • Don_Drumpf
    Thumbs Up
    Two rockstars! Smart on the issues, witty on the delivery. Must listen podcast for the international relations & national security minded.
  • clay_vickers
    Calm, cool, and collected
    This podcast is really well-produced. It sounds good and I'm enjoying the insights.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.