Author Archives: cmwood2

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In the last few months, Biden has launched an aggressive effort to cripple the Chinese semiconductor industry, a Chinese spy balloon has floated across America, and Beijing has allegedly been preparing to provide armsContinue reading “Biden takes on China”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** When we think of America, one of the first images that comes to mind are often a neat row of suburban houses, or long highways stretching into the distance. But how did those picturesContinue reading “Race and suburbia”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** Politics started early this year, with tumult in the House of Representatives and President Biden getting a classified document scandal of his own. Andy and Catherine dissect the issues and offer some predictions forContinue reading “Biden’s scandal”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** There is a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, and Republicans in Congress will be working hard to make it a political crisis for the Biden administration in the coming year. But the dirtyContinue reading “The crisis at the border”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** The war in Ukraine has shaken up global energy markets and created fears of a seriously bad winter in Europe if temperatures go to low. But although it looks like disaster will be avertedContinue reading “Europe’s winter energy blues”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** Democrats had one of the best midterm showings of the postwar era. In this episode, Andy explains how Joe Biden’s strategy of reaching out to independent and even right-wing voters has been vindicated. HeContinue reading “Interpreting the midterms”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In this episode, Andy and Catherine discuss next week’s midterms. We talk about the current polls and why they seem to have got worse for the Democrats in the last few weeks, then highlightContinue reading “Midterms: What to expect (bonus episode)”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** In August, President Biden announced substantial student debt forgiveness. This step has been so long coming – and proven so controversial – because the value and role of education have become deeply contested issuesContinue reading “The politics of student debt relief”

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few posts a month on American politics and foreign policy *** The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase as Kiev’s counteroffensive throws Russia off-balance and raises fears that Moscow might escalate the war to a new level. If the West previously feared thatContinue reading “How will the Ukraine war end?”

It always seems to be election season in America, and one reason is the system of primary elections, in which each party picks its candidate before the general election. But why do primaries exist, and are they a good idea? In this episode Andy explores the history of primaries and what impact they have onContinue reading “Primaries: what’s the deal?”