Shows
Civics In A YearUnlocking the Science of Citizenship: A Journey Through American CivicsImagine a nation where citizens don't know how their government works or why it was designed that way. According to recent studies, we're living in that nation—only 40% of Americans can name all three branches of government, and trust in our institutions has reached record lows. This civic knowledge gap threatens the very foundations of our constitutional republic."Civics in a Year" launches as an ambitious response to this crisis. In this introductory episode, Dr. Richard Avramenko, director of Arizona State University's School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, joins to unveil the roadmap for 250 podcast ep...2025-07-0425 min
Grüezi Amerika. Views from the Sister RepublicEpisode 16 – It Happened Here – or Did It?“But – it can’t happen here!” many Americans asserted in light of the Nazi takeover in Germany. Novelist and muckraker Sinclair Lewis ran with this line and sentiment, outlining a scenario in It Can’t Happen Here (1935) in which it did happen: an authoritarian turn in the United States. Similarly, Philip Roth imagined The Plot against America (2004) in which Franklin Delano Roosevelt would lose the election to “America First Committee” candidate Charles Lindbergh. Scholars and journalists now claim that it has indeed happened here and the plot against America was successful. The “coup from within” succeeded in ringing in “technofascist” age...2025-04-1639 min
Light Beer Dark MoneyReviving Classical Education: Richard Avramenko on Breaking Marxism’s Grip on CampusRichard Avramenko, the new director of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University, joins the podcast for a deep dive into the power of classical education and why it’s critical for our future. He breaks down the decades-long grip of Marxist ideology on college campuses, shares his own journey into the wisdom of the classics, and explains why students don’t have to go to Hillsdale or Claremont for a true classical education—they can find it right here at ASU.
Plus, he gives us a crash course on his home countr...2025-03-1700 min
FriendlessKyle Richard McCarthy or The Future Is Better Than The Old DaysThis week on Friendless, your host James Avramenko meets film maker, collage visual artist, and famed message in a bottle finder Kyle Richard McCarthy. Check out Kyle's work on TIKTOK or at his LINKTREE Visit the Friendless Website to sign up for the newsletter and to find out all the ways you can support the show!Fun and safety sweeties!Support the show2022-07-261h 09
Center Stage, with Milfred and HandsIs free speech on campus in danger?Milfred and Hands play audio from and comment on last week's debate between Trump booster Stephen Moore and never-Trumper Max Boot on the UW-Madison campus. Free speech on campus is "under assault but not in danger," according to Richard Avramenko, UW's director of the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy. UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank phones into the podcast to defend free speech on campus. It turns out a Trump surrogate can tout the president's record without student protest or disruption at UW. Mark Thiessen, whose Washington Post column appears every week in the Wisconsin State Journal, moderated last week's...2019-11-0827 min
The Vicki McKenna ShowGiving dis-invited speakers a chance to be heard3PM – Richard Avramenko, Co-director UW Center for Liberal Democracy, joins Vicki to talk about the Center’s upcoming annual dis-invited speakers dinner.3:30 – State Representative John Nygren discusses a new health care plan that is affordable for all.4PM – Brian Schimming is in studio to discuss local politics.5PM – Matt Kittle, Mac Iver News Service, looks at the state budget, Medicaid and a gas tax possibility.5:30 – Ryan Walsh, Former Chief Deputy Solicitor General for Wisconsin, examines Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s abandonment of the defense of Wisconsin’s Right to Work Law2019-04-261h 46