Best Ed Fallon Podcasts (2025)

1
Federico Marcon, "Fascism: The History of a Word" (U Chicago Press, 2025) 1:34:03

6h ago1:34:03

1:34:03

The rise and popular support for authoritarianism around the world and within traditional democracies have spurred debates over the meaning of the term “fascist” and when and whether it is appropriate to use it. The landmark study Fascism: The History of a Word (The University of Chicago Press, 2025) takes this debate further by tackling its most f…

1
Aug 11: A conversation with Maria Reveiz about her work in Gaza 59:56

16h ago59:56

59:56

On this week's Fallon Forum, Ed Fallon discusses:(01:41) A conversation with Maria Reveiz about her work in Gaza;(53:55) Ash trees fight back.By Ed Fallon

1
Jacob F. H. Smith, "Waves of Discontent: Electoral Volatility, Public Policymaking, and the Health of American Democracy" (U Michigan Press, 2025) 22:05

34m ago22:05

22:05

After a period of relative calm in congressional elections prior to 2006, America has experienced a series of highly competitive, volatile national elections. Since then, at least one of the US House, US Senate, and presidency has flipped party control--often with a large House or Senate seat swing--with the exception of the 2012 election. In Waves…

1
Rita Kiki Edozie and Moses Khisa, "Africa's New Global Politics: Regionalism in International Relations" (Lynne Rienner, 2022) 1:55:57

21h ago1:55:57

1:55:57

The African Union's threat to lead African states' mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court in 2008 marked just one of many encounters that demonstrate African leaders' growing confidence and activism in international relations. Rita Kiki Edozie and Moses Khisa explore the myriad ways in which the continent’s diplomatic engagement and …

1
Jonathan Fisher and Nina Wilén, "African Peacekeeping" (Cambridge UP, 2022) 53:56

2d ago53:56

53:56

In African Peacekeeping (Cambridge University Press, 2022), Dr. Jonathan Fisher and Dr. Nina Wilén explore the story of Africa's contemporary history and politics through the lens of peacekeeping. This concise and accessible book, based on over a decade of research across ten countries, focuses not on peacekeeping in Africa but, rather, peacekeepin…

1
Eric Martin & John Bush 1:32:56

22h ago1:32:56

1:32:56

Eric Martin shares candid thoughts about Mr. Big's final shows, the impact of drummer Pat Torpey's passing, and his continued musical journey. He reveals details about his upcoming electric shows featuring Mr. Big classics, his global touring experiences, and working with various musicians including Jeff Scott Soto. Martin also reflects on the band…

1
Neil Roberts, “A Political Companion to Frederick Douglass” (UP of Kentucky, 2018) 1:18:25

5d ago1:18:25

1:18:25

The year 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ birth. It can hardly be said that scholars have neglected Douglass; indeed, he is one of the most written-about figures in American history. But not all aspects of Douglass’ thought have received their due. One such blank spot in what might be called “Douglass Studies” concerns his po…

1
Timothy W. Kneeland, "Declaring Disaster: Buffalo's Blizzard of '77 and the Creation of FEMA" (Syracuse UP, 2021) 1:15:17

7d ago1:15:17

1:15:17

Join me for an insightful and timely conversation with historian Timothy Kneeland about his book Declaring Disaster: Buffalo's Blizzard of '77 and the Creation of FEMA (Syracuse University Press, 2021). This book masterfully bridges the gap between academic research and real-world policy implications. Hear from the author himself as he reflects on …

1
Jean-Marc Coicaud, "The Law and Politics of International Legitimacy" (Cambridge UP, 2025) 40:39

6d ago40:39

40:39

The Law and Politics of International Legitimacy (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines the significance of the issue of political legitimacy at the international level, focusing on international law. It adopts a descriptive, critical, and reconstructive approach. In order to do so, the book clarifies what political legitimacy is in general an…

1
Aug 4: The journey of one thread of plastic from your washing machine to your dinner 1:00:48

7d ago1:00:48

1:00:48

On this week's Fallon Forum, Charles Goldman joins Ed Fallon to discuss:(02:07) Charles weighs in on Professor Weiss's "US Divorce" proposal;(08:59) Trump reinstates fitness test for school children;(13:08) Attempted murder of a city councilman spawns hateful comments;(21:24) CO2 pipeline update;(23:03) The journey of one thread of plastic from you…

1
Benjamin Francis-Fallon, "The Rise of the Latino Vote: A History" (Harvard UP, 2019) 53:47

7d ago53:47

53:47

While media pundits continually speculate over the future leanings of the so-called “Latino vote,” Benjamin Francis-Fallon historicizes how Latinos were imagined into a national electoral constituency in his new book The Rise of the Latino Vote: A History (Harvard University Press, 2019). Francis-Fallon, Assistant Professor of History at Western Ca…

1
Dan Reiter, "Untied Hands: How States Avoid the Wrong Wars" (Cambridge UP, 2025) 43:57

9d ago43:57

43:57

How do states advance their national security interests? Conventional wisdom holds that states must court the risk of catastrophic war by “tying their hands” to credibly protect their interests. Dan Reiter overturns this perspective with the compelling argument that states craft flexible foreign policies to avoid unwanted wars. Through a comprehens…

1
Philip Cunliffe, "The National Interest: Politics After Globalization" (Polity Press, 2025) 58:28

9d ago58:28

58:28

Globalization is over. With US president Donald Trump pursuing an 'America First' agenda in trade and foreign policy, everyone now recognises the urgency of defending their own country's national interest. But what is the national interest and why did it disappear from the political agenda? Will Trump restore American national interests, or will he…

1
Suruchi Mazumdar, "Divided Media: Politics and Mediated Movements in India" (Routledge, 2025) 1:10:48

10d ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Suruchi Mazumdar’s book addresses the complex relationship between India’s evolving, emerging media landscape, the political and economic interests of diverse media actors, and movements opposing contentious issues such as market-based economic reforms and religious nationalism. In the mid-2000s, Singur and Nandigram, nondescript semi-urban and rur…

1
How Late-Stage Neoliberal Capitalism is Breaking Democracy 33:14

11d ago33:14

33:14

For a long time many (although by no means all) scholars saw the relationship between capitalism and democracy as mutually reinforcing: economic competition and growth were expected to sustain democratic competition and improve governance and public good delivery for citizens, in turn creating a better environment for capitalist competition to flou…

1
Luke Spiller & Wes Scantlin 1:21:33

9d ago1:21:33

1:21:33

Lead singer Luke Spiller reflects on The Struts' breakthrough debut album 'Everybody Wants' turning 10, sharing stories behind hits like 'Could Have Been Me' and 'Put Your Money on Me'. He reveals plans to perform the album in its entirety on tour with Dirty Honey, teases an upcoming collaboration with an iconic artist, and discusses their new cove…

1
Murad Idris, "War for Peace: Genealogies of a Violent Ideal in Western and Islamic Thought" (Oxford UP, 2019) 1:06:01

12d ago1:06:01

1:06:01

Murad Idris, a political theorist in the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics at the University of Virginia, explores the concept of peace, the term itself and the way that it has been considered and analyzed in western and Islamic political thought. War for Peace: Genealogies of a Violent Ideal in Western and Islamic Thought (Oxford University Pr…

1
Jul 28: Which does America need: a divorce, or marriage counseling? 1:01:12

14d ago1:01:12

1:01:12

On this week's Fallon Forum, Ed Fallon discusses:(01:45) Which does America need: a divorce, or marriage counseling?, with Jeffrey Weiss;(36:58) How Trump is hurting small farmers, with Zachary Couture;(45:13) Central Iowa water-quality study released, with John Norris;(55:14) America’s protein obsession, with Kathy Byrnes Fallon, Birds & Bees Urba…

1
Hanno Sauer, "The Invention of Good and Evil: A World History of Morality " (Oxford UP, 2024) 1:11:03

15d ago1:11:03

1:11:03

In this sweeping new history of humanity, told through the prism of our ever-changing moral norms and values, Hanno Sauer shows how modern society is just the latest step in the long evolution of good and evil and everything in between. What makes us moral beings? How do we decide what is good and what is evil? And has it always been that way? Hann…

1
Joseph Gfroerer, "War Stories from the Drug Survey: How Culture, Politics, and Statistics Shaped the National Survey on Drug Use and Health" (Cambridge UP, 2018) 57:27

17d ago57:27

57:27

Joseph Gfroerer spent nearly 40 years working as a statistician for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Starting in 1988, when the American drug war was taking its current shape, he led the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), one of the federal governmen…

1
Teo Ballvé, "The Frontier Effect: State Formation and Violence in Colombia" (Cornell UP, 2020) 41:58

17d ago41:58

41:58

In The Frontier Effect: State Formation and Violence in Colombia (Cornell UP, 2020), Teo Ballvé challenges the notion that in Urabá, Colombia, the cause of the region's violent history and unruly contemporary condition is the absence of the state. Although he takes this locally oft-repeated claim seriously, he demonstrates that Urabá is more than a…

1
Agathe Demarais, "Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests" (Columbia UP, 2022) 1:06:28

18d ago1:06:28

1:06:28

Sanctions have become the go-to foreign policy tool for the United States. Coercive economic measures such as trade tariffs, financial penalties, and export controls affect large numbers of companies and states across the globe. Some of these penalties target nonstate actors, such as Colombian drug cartels and Islamist terror groups; others apply t…

1
Nicko McBrain & Moriah Formica 1:32:38

17d ago1:32:38

1:32:38

Legendary drummer Nicko McBrain discusses the challenging decision to leave Iron Maiden due to health issues, particularly his battle with sciatica. He opens up about his shows with Titanium Tart, his Florida-based Maiden tribute band, and reflects on memorable moments from his 40-year career with Iron Maiden. McBrain also shares updates about his …

1
Luke A. Nichter, "The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election Of 1968" (Yale UP, 2024) 1:02:55

21d ago1:02:55

1:02:55

A sitting Democratic president who chooses not to run for re-election, a vice president running out of the president’s shadow, and a Republican nominee trying to make a political comeback amidst accusations of collusion – welcome to the 2024 1968 presidential election. What we think we know about the election has been challenged, however, by a new …

1
Jul 21: My lunch with two Zionist friends 1:00:53

21d ago1:00:53

1:00:53

On this week's Fallon Forum, Ed Fallon discusses:(01:49) My lunch with two Zionist friends;(26:09) Floods, school funding, ICE raids, and Alligator Alcatraz;(36:59) Medicaid cuts will impact elder care and rural facilities, with Di Findley;(53:56) Iowa Hunger Summit, with Kathy Byrnes Fallon, Birds & Bees Urban Farm.…

1
Ketian Zhang, "China's Gambit: The Calculus of Coercion" (Cambridge UP, 2023) 1:11:57

22d ago1:11:57

1:11:57

Emerging from an award-winning article in International Security, China's Gambit examines when, why, and how China attempts to coerce states over perceived threats to its national security. Since 1990, China has used coercion for territorial disputes and issues related to Taiwan and Tibet, yet China is curiously selective in the timing, target, and…

1
Frank L. Jones, "Sam Nunn: Statesman of the Nuclear Age" (UP Kansas, 2020) 1:03:46

23d ago1:03:46

1:03:46

In a 2012 opinion piece bemoaning the state of the US Senate, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank cited a “leading theory: There are no giants in the chamber today.” Among the respected members who once walked the Senate floor, admired for their expertise and with a stature that went beyond party, Milbank counted Sam Nunn (D-GA). Nunn served in …

1
Carol Nackenoff and Julie Novkov, "American by Birth: Wong Kim Ark and the Battle for Citizenship" (UP of Kansas, 2021) 1:19:53

23d ago1:19:53

1:19:53

All nations make rules -- through their constitutions, legislatures, bureaucratic practices – about who counts as a citizen. American by Birth examines the role of the Supreme Court – particularly a ruling from 1898 that is still precedent today. Wong Kim Ark v. United States interpreted the language of the 14th Amendment to answer whether a man bo…

1
Dayna Bowen Matthew, "Just Health: Treating Structural Racism to Heal America" (NYU Press, 2022) 46:53

24d ago46:53

46:53

In the United States, systemic racism is embedded in policies and practices, thereby structuring American society to perpetuate inequality and all of the symptoms and results of that inequality. Racial, social, and class inequities and the public health crises in the United States are deeply intertwined, their roots and manifestations continually p…

1
David E. Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht, "See Jane Run: How Women Politicians Matter for Young People" (U of Chicago Press, 2025) 55:26

26d ago55:26

55:26

Notre Dame University Political Scientists Dave Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht have a new book that focuses on the impression that female candidates make on young people, specifically on young people in the United States. This is a fascinating analysis since it fleshes out, with a sizeable study, the idea that candidates running for office, parti…

1
Tony Iommi, Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo, David Ellefson & Nuno Bettencourt 2:16:30

24d ago2:16:30

2:16:30

On this special look back at the Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning concert, Eddie recaps the events and feelings of the day in an exclusive conversation with Tony Iommi. Plus, event organizer and rock star wrangler Tom Morello talks about the difficulties of organizing such a large event, and reflections from performers at the s…

1
Lily Hamourtziadou, "Body Count: The War on Terror and Civilian Deaths in Iraq" (Bristol UP, 2021) 29:00

27d ago29:00

29:00

Body Count: The War on Terror and Civilian Deaths in Iraq (Bristol University Press, 2021), Lily Hamourtziadou’s investigation into civilian victims during the conflicts that followed the US-led coalition’s 2003 invasion of Iraq provides important new perspectives on the human cost of the War on Terror. From early fighting to the withdrawal and ret…

1
Simon Butt, "Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia" (Melbourne UP, 2023) 40:13

28d ago40:13

40:13

Indonesia's judicial system has long been described as dysfunctional. Many of its problems developed out of decades of authoritarian rule, which began in the last few years of the reign of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno. By the time President Soeharto's regime fell in 1998, the judiciary had virtually collapsed. Judicial dependence on govern…

1
Jul 14: Iowa's water quality is now a major crisis 1:00:10

28d ago1:00:10

1:00:10

On this week's Fallon Forum, Ed Fallon discusses:(01:39) Iowa's water quality is now a major crisis, with Josh Mandelbaum;(17:26) Meet Cal Woods: Retire. Sell home. Travel the world;(35:42) Envisioning AI as a compassionate mom, with Mark Clipsham;(53:11) Urban farming could feed a billion people, with Kathy Byrnes Fallon, Birds & Bees Urban Farm.…

1
Elizabeth Popp Berman, "Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy" (Princeton UP, 2022) 50:56

29d ago50:56

50:56

For decades, Democratic politicians have frustrated progressives by tinkering around the margins of policy while shying away from truly ambitious change. What happened to bold political vision on the left, and what shrunk the very horizons of possibility? In Thinking like an Economist, Elizabeth Popp Berman tells the story of how a distinctive way …

1
Kampung Activism in Indonesia 22:30

29d ago22:30

22:30

My village, my kampung. The term kampung is a Malay word, referring to a "village hamlet" or "urban informal settlement." As rapid urbanization takes place both regionally and globally, the designation of kampung accrued a negative connotation associated with impoverishment and obsolescence. However, commencing in the mid-2010s, a countermovement a…

1
Aggie Hirst, "Politics of Play: Wargaming with the US Military" (Oxford UP, 2024) 49:44

1M ago49:44

49:44

A wargaming renaissance has been underway in the US military. Having proven to be the most effective recruitment tool of the 21st century, games have proliferated across all levels of the military's strategic, operational, training, and rehabilitation architecture. From board games to high-tech digital and virtual reality platforms, wargames enable…

1
Ignacio G. Galán, "Furnishing Fascism: Modernist Design and Politics in Italy" (U Minnesota Press, 2025) 54:53

1M ago54:53

54:53

Along with the rise of Mussolini’s fascist regime, the interwar years in Italy also saw the widespread development of its modernist interior design and furnishing practices. While the regime’s politics were overtly manifest in monumental government architecture, Furnishing Fascism: Modernist Design and Politics in Italy (University of Minnesota Pre…

1
On Bullshit in Politics 33:00

1M ago33:00

33:00

Today we’re continuing our series on philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s seminal work, On Bullshit. Our guest is Michael Patrick Lynch, Provost Professor of the Humanities and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Michael is the author of the recently published book, On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy …

1
Noëlle McAfee, "Fear of Breakdown: Psychoanalysis and Politics" (Columbia UP, 2019) 57:08

1M ago57:08

57:08

In his classic essay on the fear of breakdown, Donald Winnicott famously conveys to a patient that the disaster powerfully feared has, in fact, already happened. Taking her cue from Winnicott, Noëlle McAfee’s Fear of Breakdown: Psychoanalysis and Politics (Columbia University Press, 2019), explores the implications of breakdown fears for the practi…

1
Ali Aslam, David W. McIvor, and Joel Alden Schlosser, "Earthborn Democracy: A Political Theory of Entangled Life" (Columbia UP, 2024) 52:20

1M ago52:20

52:20

Ecological crises threaten all forms of life on earth. Democracy too is endangered, as popular discontent, elite malfeasance, and unresponsive institutions imperil its survival. Present political concepts have proven inadequate to meeting these challenges, and their inadequacies are themselves symptoms of the failures of prevailing political, cultu…

1
Joe Perry 1:03:36

1M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

Rock legend Joe Perry opens up about The Joe Perry Project's upcoming gigs featuring an all-star lineup including Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, and Stone Temple Pilots' rhythm section. Perry delves into the challenges of crafting the perfect setlist, balancing deep cuts from Aerosmith with solo material, and the po…

1
Siri Schwabe, "Moving Memory: Remembering Palestine in Postdictatorship Chile" (Cornell UP, 2023) 49:58

1M ago49:58

49:58

Two juxtaposed years frame the subject matter of Moving Memory: Remembering Palestine in Postdictatorship Chile. In one, 1973, General Augusto Pinochet’s troops stormed Chile’s presidential palace. In the other, 1948, Zionist militias expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland. That 1973 should move memories in Chile is obvi…

1
Genocide Studies International Partners with New Books Network 37:02

1M ago37:02

37:02

Today I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership with Genocide Studies International. GSI is one of the preeminent journals in the field of Genocide Studies. Published by the University of Toronto Press and housed in the Zoryan Institute, GSI is dedicated to “to raising knowledge and awareness among scholars, policy makers, and civil society actors…

1
Chinese Conceptualisation of the Rule of Law – a Conversation with Dr. Martin Lavicka 25:08

1M ago25:08

25:08

What does the 'rule of law' really mean in China? How does it shape the country’s politics, both at home and on the world stage? And why should it matter to the rest of us when universal norms are being challenged? Dr. Tabita Rosendal from the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies at Lund University, talks to Dr. Martin Lavicka, a scholar of…

1
Jul 7: What I learned at Trump's July 3 Des Moines rally 57:29

1M ago57:29

57:29

On this week's Fallon Forum, Ed Fallon discusses:(01:37) What I learned at Trump's July 3 Des Moines rally.By Ed Fallon

1
Didi Kuo, "The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't" (Oxford UP, 2025) 55:10

1M ago55:10

55:10

As the crisis of democratic capitalism sweeps the globe, The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't (Oxford University Press, 2025) makes the controversial argument that what democracies require most are stronger political parties that serve as intermediaries between citizens and governments. Once a centralizing force…

1
Foreign Aid and State Building in Interwar Romania 32:25

1M ago32:25

32:25

In this episode of the CEU Review of Books Podcast I sat down with Dr Doina Anca Cretu to talk about her first book, Foreign Aid and State Building in Interwar Romania: In Quest of an Ideal, published by Stanford University Press. In the podcast we talk about Anca’s academic background, how she came to research foreign aid in Romania, any surprises…

1
Angela Katrina Lewis-Maddox ed., "Disrupting Political Science: Black Women Reimagining the Discipline" (SUNY Press, 2025) 51:04

1M ago51:04

51:04

Political Scientist Angela K. Lewis-Maddox has pulled together an important and useful edited volume focusing on black women political scientists and their experiences in the discipline itself and in studying topics that include race and gender. Political Science, as a discipline, is a bit more than 100 years old, and studies politics, power, insti…

1
Ed Roland, Carla Harvey & Charlie Benante 1:28:29

1M ago1:28:29

1:28:29

Ed Roland shares the fascinating story behind Collective Soul's breakthrough hit 'Shine,' originally recorded as a demo in his basement. He reveals how the band's raw demo unexpectedly launched their career, their struggles with early management, and their bold move to become independent artists. Roland also discusses recording at Elvis's Palm Spri…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Ed Fallon Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide