Top 5 Podcasts of 2021: ‘The Campus Exchange’

This blog post is part of AEI’s Best Podcasts of 2021 series. Click here to see other AEI podcast hosts’ favorite episodes of the year.

“The Campus Exchange” is AEI’s podcast for college students who are seeking to improve the quality and diversity of public policy dialogue on campus. Every two weeks, the podcast features recordings from live events with AEI scholars on topics ranging from economics, foreign policy, domestic policy, and society and culture. These conversations are organized for and moderated by members of AEI’s Executive Council Program, which connects top undergraduates across the country with the ideas, research, and network of AEI.

Here are the top 5 episodes of “The Campus Exchange” from 2021:

1. Where does the Republican party go from here? (with Ramesh Ponnuru) — Episode #6, March 25

In this episode, AEI Visiting Fellow Ramesh Ponnuru joined students from the University of Georgia to discuss the Republican Party after the presidency of Donald Trump. Ponnuru discussed the Republicans’ increased focus on symbolic politics in recent years and outlined how Republicans could return to delivering solutions for policy problems. He also shared his thoughts on how Republicans can offer a policy agenda as they prepare for future elections.

2. A new Cold War with China? (with Zack Cooper) — Episode #7, April 12

Most commentators agree that China is America’s greatest strategic competitor on the international stage. But can we understand our relationship with China through analogies to America’s greatest 20th-century struggle, the Cold War? AEI research fellow Zack Cooper joined students at the University of Miami to explore the history of China’s rise on the world stage, the challenges it poses, and the shortcomings of Cold War comparisons. He also offered advice to students interested in careers in US-China relations.

3. The curmudgeon’s guide to graduation (with Charles Murray) — Episode #10, May 21

What sorts of personal and professional experiences should people in their twenties prioritize? What should recent graduates expect from life and careers beyond the university? Amidst 2021’s graduation season, Charles Murray joined the Academic Programs team to discuss his book, The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don’ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life. From leaving home and trying out different jobs, to taking the clichés about marriage and happiness seriously, Murray offered advice on the pursuit of both a successful career and a happy life.

4. Career development, the liberal arts, & Christian achievement (with Elizabeth Corey) — Episode #11, June 19

How can we think more broadly about career, family, and achievement? What might a more robust view of achievement offer? What comprises a meaningful vocation and how can we steward our talents to this end? Dr. Elizabeth Corey, AEI’s 2018–2019 Values & Capitalism visiting professor, joined students at Baylor University, offering a reorientation of how we can think about a balanced life in the face of conflicting priorities. She spoke on today’s pernicious view of achievement, the good of work, and how both the liberal arts and Christianity can serve as more balanced models. Tune in for a conversation on how to broaden our view of achievement to find greater fulfillment and better serve the world around us.

5. Looking back, looking forward: The US withdrawal from Afghanistan (with Michael Rubin) — Episode #4, November 4

The United States’ unprecedented withdrawal from Afghanistan this past summer has left a wake of questions and uncertainty. What does a new Afghanistan mean for Iran and US allies in the region? How did US foreign policy progress to this point and what are the lasting implications of this decision? AEI’s Michael Rubin was joined by students at Stanford University to discuss the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, our evolving mission in the country, and what an American withdrawal means for the region, our allies around the world, and Americans back home.