What are some of the common critiques that American populist politicians—on the Left and the Right—lodge against Big Tech? How valid are their critiques? In this episode political scientist Gary Winslett discusses his newest book project—“Big Tech and Its Populist Critics”—which examines populist critiques of Big Tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google. While Right-wing populists criticize Big Tech for suppressing “free speech”— and Left-wing populists target economic concerns and these firms’ monopolistic practices—Winslett explores these issues, questions the validity of populist critiques from both political sides, and advocates for a “dynamist” approach to public policy that promotes risk-taking, innovation, and a positive outlook towards technological progress.
In this episode of New Frontiers, environmental scientist Mez Baker-Médard discusses her new book Feminist Conservation: Politics and Power in Madagascar’s Marine Commons. Drawing on two decades of research, the book explores how global conservation programs in Madagascar often marginalize local communities (especially women) by excluding them from traditional fishing areas. Employing the concept of feminist conservation—which emphasizes local knowledge, equity, and justice in environmental decision-making—she critiques the “top-down” conservation model typically favored by international environmental organizations, and urges an approach to conservation that incorporates local worldviews, resists enclosure, and addresses structural causes of environmental degradation such as global trade and climate change.
In this episode, Mark Williams sits down with Cathy Burke - author, leadership expert, change maker. She’s the author of several books and her latest, Today I Saw a Revolution, tells us the story of a transformative grassroots movement in Bangladesh. At the core of this book is Dr. Badiul Majumdar, a man who became central to ending hunger in Bangladesh and whose life work, Cathy writes, and here I’ll quote, “is one of the most remarkable untold stories in the global fight against hunger and inequality.”
In this episode—the second of a two-part series on global demining and disarmament efforts—Mark Williams speaks with political scientist and Nobel Laureate Matthew Breay Bolton regarding the US role in addressing the problems posed by landmines and unexploded ordinance, problems that past US policy had sometimes helped create.
Weapons created for war can inflict devastating harm on civilians long after a given conflict ends. In part one of this two-part series, Nobel Laureate (2017) Matthew Breay Bolton explains why it is vital to address the problems civilians face from landmines, unexploded ordinance, and other munitions; how that is (or isn’t) being done; and the role the United States has played in global de-mining efforts, including the Trump administration’s decision to suspend all aid to these campaigns.
In this episode, Mark Williams sits down with political scientist Javier Corrales, to discuss his latest book—‘Autocracy Rising: How Venezuela Transitioned to Authoritarianism’. Listen in to their discussion as they explore Venezuela’s political history, and the critical lessons its slide into autocracy might teach about the fragility of democratic governments worldwide.
Established in 1600 to secure trade relations between India, East and Southeast Asia, and Britain, the East India Company did this and much, much more. For nearly 300 years it ran a global trading network that operated for profit, politics, and eventually empire. In the process it not only became the world’s first multinational corporation, but — thanks to its own army, navy, currency, and legal system—came to ruleterritories far more extensive than its home base of the British Isles.
Although foreign policy doesn’t usually play much of a role in US presidential elections, the consequences of those contests can have profound effects on American foreign policy, and by extension, on US interests, allies, and other countries around the world. In this episode, Ambassador Michael McKinley joins Mark Williams to discuss the foreign policy implications of the 2024 US presidential election.
In this episode of “New Frontiers,” sociologist Amy Cooter explores the rise, goals, and philosophies of American militia groups. She explains why their actions could mar the 2024 elections and highlights how a more thorough, accurate teaching of American history could address misconceptions and reduce societal tensions that fuel some of these groups’ strongest grievances.
