The role of universities in a democratic society (a collaboration with “Brown 2026”)

On this episode (recorded spring 2026), Mark Blyth talks with Aditi Sahasrabuddhe, an assistant professor of political science at Brown University, about her book, “Bankers’ Trust: How Social Relations Avert Global Financial Collapse.” They discuss how interpersonal relationships among central bankers have played a role in stabilizing our global financial system from the 1920s to 2008, and how this challenges long-held beliefs about how central banks and global finance work. Learn more about and purchase “Bankers’ Trust: How Social Relations Avert Global Financial Collapse”

On this episode, Mark talks with Brendan Greeley, a journalist and former U.S. economics editor at the Financial Times, about his new book “The Almighty Dollar, 500 Years of the World's Most Powerful Money.” In it, Greeley makes the case that the American dollar is not (and never has been) quite as…American…as one might assume; from its very beginning, it’s had deep global ties, and no single government has ever been in full control of it. Mark and Brendan discuss what this more nuanced understanding of the dollar reveals about how the U.S. economy operates, and how it might help us think about the future of the “almighty dollar.”

On this episode Mark Blyth talks with Cornelia Woll, a professor of international political economy at the Hertie School Berlin and author of the recent book “Corporate Crime and Punishment: The Politics of Negotiated Justice in Global Markets.” They discuss how economic law enforcement and geopolitics have become increasingly intertwined, and how this has complicated efforts to make sure corporations behave in a just (and legal) manner.

On this episode, Mark Blyth talks with Erik Peinert, an assistant professor of political science at Boston University, about his new book “Monopoly Politics: Competition and Learning and the Evolution of Policy Regimes.” In the book, Erik draws extensively on archives in the US and France to explain why, when, and how those two countries have chosen to fight monopoly power over the course of the 20th century, and explores what their stories can teach us about increasing market concentration in the US and around the world today.

Not so long ago, it appeared to many observers that economic globalization, political liberalization and geopolitical stability were an unstoppable trio. They supported each other and created an economic and political environment that countries around the world couldn’t help but want to be a part of. Some called it “the great moderation,” some, “the end of history.” Whatever name you want to give it, it seemed like it was here to stay. Which, of course, it wasn't. Today, according to this episode’s guest, instability in all three of these realms — economics, domestic politics and geopolitics — is creating just the opposite: a vicious cycle of economic and political disorder, which we seem ill-equipped to get ourselves out of. Eswar Prasad, is a professor of Trade Policy and Economics at Cornell University, and author of the new book “The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder.” In this episode, he speaks with Mark Blyth and Brown University Assistant Professor of Political Science Aditi Sahasrabuddhe about the “doom loop” — what caused it, why it’s so hard to stop, and what it means for the future of our global order. Learn more about and purchase “The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder.”