Politics & power
Who holds power, how they use it, and what just shifted. From elections to geopolitics.
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A small Baltic nation rebuilt government around the internet — citizens vote, sign documents, file taxes, and access records online. Explore how Estonia did it, what it got right, and what other countries can learn.
Modern power increasingly flows through control of narrow shipping lanes, semiconductor supply chains, and financial plumbing like SWIFT. Explore how a handful of chokepoints became the new levers of great-power competition.
When politicians can't resolve divisive issues, some countries have turned to randomly selected citizens who deliberate and recommend policy. Explore how Ireland's assemblies moved the needle on hard questions, and whether it's a fix for broken democracy.
Sanctions are a favorite tool of statecraft, but their track record is mixed. Explore the mechanics of financial and trade pressure, when they change behavior, and why targeted regimes so often endure them.
Nations blessed with oil, gas, or diamonds frequently suffer slower growth, more corruption, and less freedom than resource-poor peers. Explore the political economy behind this paradox and the countries that escaped it.
Joseph Nye's idea that nations win influence through culture, values, and attraction rather than coercion. Explore how soft power actually operates, from Hollywood to K-pop to universities, and who wields it best today.
Before a single vote is cast, the way electoral maps are drawn can lock in outcomes for a decade. Explore how gerrymandering works, the math used to detect it, and the fight over who should draw the lines.
Explore the stubborn legacy of 'diplomatic French' and why the global elite still cling to a 17th-century linguistic standard despite English dominance. It reveals how language choice in treaties acts as a deliberate tool for precision—and a subtle power play in the room.
Who holds power and how they use it. Episodes unpack chokepoint geopolitics — straits, chips, and payment networks — why sanctions so often fail, the resource curse that leaves oil-rich countries poorer, gerrymandering, soft power, and Estonia's experiment in fully digital government. From elections to statecraft, the stream explains the machinery behind the news rather than replaying it.
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