Podcasts about mack brown distinguished chair

For our sixth episode of "History and our Current World," Jeremi Suri joins Kelly to discuss how policymakers can effectively use historical analogies without falling into the trap of oversimplification. They discuss how examining multiple historical cases rather than relying on a single analogy like Munich or Vietnam can result in better policy outcomes. Jeremi holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, and is a Professor in UT Austin's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and The Power of the Past: History and Statecraft, edited with Hal Brands. Link to Civil War By Other Means: https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Other-Means-Unfinished/dp/1541758544  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on April 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Professor Jeremi Suri is a historian and the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Jeremi is the author of Civil War by Other Means and The Impossible Presidency. For the Sake of Argument podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakenewfieldSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EYApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/id1567749546Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield Jeremi Suri's substack: https://democracyofhope.substack.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jake-newfield/support

Professor Jeremi Suri is a historian and the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Jeremi is the author of Civil War by Other Means and The Impossible Presidency. YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jakenewfield https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jake-newfield/support

On November 29, 2023, Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100. The former US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor had a long and distinguished career as a scholar and statesman, and his legacy is both prolific and controversial. While many have celebrated his success in resolutely pursuing US global interests, others have criticized Kissinger for his alleged disregard of such values as human rights. This panel discussion explores the complex and multifaceted nature of Kissinger's legacy, focusing on his interaction with international law and his role in shaping US foreign policy. Featuring:Prof. Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs; Professor of Public Affairs and History, University of TexasProf. Thomas Schwartz, Distinguished Professor of History, Professor of Political Science and European Studies, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Vanderbilt UniversityProf. John Yoo, Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley; Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution

Aaron O'Connell, the director of research at the Clements Center for National Security, moderated a panel with Jim Goldgeier, a visiting scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation; Deborah Pearlstein, co-director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy; Jeremi Suri, the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at UT Austin; and Sheena Greitens, the founding director of the Asia Policy Program at the University of Texas at Austin. The conversation focused on the classification process, scholarship, the need for more transparency, and why it matters for the writing of history. This was the first of a three panels exploring the topic of classification and democracy.  

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is Professor of History in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Jeremi's selection of topics in his work is sprawling, but he writes largely on modern and contemporary politics and foreign policy. In this episode, Robinson and Jeremi discuss the American presidency and how it has shifted over the past two hundred and fifty years to become an impossible position with impossible demands and expectations. Their conversation focuses on five presidents—George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy—though they also touch on Barrack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.  Jeremi's Website: https://www.jeremisuri.net The Impossible Presidency: https://a.co/d/1mOgm7Q Civil War by Other Means: https://a.co/d/19i6Jq1 OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode 01:02 Introduction 05:17 What Are the Historian's Skills? 15:54 Jeremi's Background 18:58 Did Washington and Trump Have the Same Job? 25:23 How to Measure the Success of a President? 35:11 What Made Washington Great? 55:40 Was Andrew Jackson Actually a Great President? 01:07:29 How Abraham Lincoln Doomed the Presidency 01:17:20 Theodore Roosevelt and Military Imperialism 01:26:38 Was Franklin Roosevelt the Last Great President? 01:37:38 Why Did JFK Fail as President?  01:42:19 What is Obama's Legacy? 01:48:08 Was Donald Trump the End of the Presidency? 01:55:06 Jeremi's Advice for a Future President Robinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support

In this episode, Ryan Daniel Moran and JP Newman sit down with Professor Jeremy Suri to discuss how we as a nation might get out of the political divide and turmoil that we have seen over the last few years. They discuss history, favorite presidents, and navigating conflict by focusing on values, not issues. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dr. Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His research and teaching have received numerous prizes. Smithsonian magazine named him one of America's "Top Young Innovators" in the arts and sciences. In 2018 he received the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. In the same year also received the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin. This year The Capitalism Conference is coming again in April of 2023. To learn more visit: http://www.Capitalism.com/CapCon6 If you're ready to build a 7-figure business you can sell that doesn't eat up all of your time, watch Ryan's FREE 4-part video series - The Perfect Business https://www.capitalism.com/perfect/?utm_source=CapPod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=episode

In this episode, Ryan and JP sit down with Professor Jeremy Suri to discuss how we as a nation might get out of the political divide and turmoil that we have seen over the last few years. They discuss history, favorite presidents, and navigating conflict by focusing on values, not issues. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dr. Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy (with Robert Hutchings). Dr. Suri writes for major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, The American Prospect and Wired — as well as for various online sites and blogs. He is a popular public lecturer, and appears frequently on radio and television. Dr. Suri teaches courses on strategy and decision-making, leadership, globalization, international relations and modern history. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, and he teaches and serves as academic director for the Executive Master in Public Leadership program (EMPL) at LBJ. His research and teaching have received numerous prizes. In 2007 Smithsonian magazine named him one of America's "Top Young Innovators" in the arts and sciences. In 2018 he received the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. In the same year also received the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin.

Links from the show:* Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy* Jermi's Podcast* Connect with Jermi at the LBJ SchoolAbout my guest:Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dr. Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy (with Robert Hutchings).Dr. Suri writes for major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, The American Prospect and Wired — as well as for various online sites and blogs. He is a popular public lecturer, and appears frequently on radio and television.Dr. Suri teaches courses on strategy and decision-making, leadership, globalization, international relations and modern history. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, and he teaches and serves as academic director for the Executive Master in Public Leadership program (EMPL) at LBJ. His research and teaching have received numerous prizes. In 2007 Smithsonian magazine named him one of America's "Top Young Innovators" in the arts and sciences. In 2018 he received the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. In the same year also received the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Jeremi Suri - He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He joins Tavis to unpack how we can evaluate our nation's leaders as we head into this midterms (just over a week away), talks about what he's learned while studying the history of world leaders and explains how new leadership can heal our afflicted democracy.

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri co-hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy.” His professional website is: http://jeremisuri.net.

Our democracy is an evolving machine. The machine was built by a small group of people who were all men and looked the same. Over time the strength of American society is that it has grown and become more diverse and become very different. Our democracy has in an inefficient, episodic way been able to adjust and been able to at least account for some of that. But it hasn't done that in about a generation, and it's long time we do that.Jeremi SuriBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Order Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy by Jeremi SuriA full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He cohosts the podcast This is Democracy with his son Zachary. His latest book is Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:50Reconstruction and American Democracy - 3:21Contradictions in American Reconstruction - 15:25How Reconstruction Era Issues Shape Democracy Today - 23:25Democracy and Political Reform - 32:18Key LinksThis is Democracy a podcast from Jeremi and Zachary SuriFollow Jeremi Suri on Twitter @JeremiSuriDemocracy Paradox PodcastLynn Vavreck on the 2020 Election and the Challenge to American DemocracyCan America Preserve Democracy without Retreating from it? Robert C. Lieberman on the Four ThreatsMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

This week, Zachary takes a turn at hosting and interviews Jeremi about his new book, Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. Tune in next week for part 2 of this discussion. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Every Season Goes." Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri co-hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy.” His professional website is: Jeremi Suri, PhD. This episode of This is Democracy was mixed and mastered by Morgan Honaker.

Professor Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of numerous books including Henry Kissinger and the American Century, The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office and many other excellent works. The following are books and articles pertinent to our conversation today: Henry Kissinger and the American Century The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is remembered for many things, among them his iconic observation that, "There are known knowns--there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns--that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know." The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is full of reminders of the importance of understanding what we know, recognizing what we don't know, and being open to the idea that there is likely more we don't yet know. In order to help make sense of it, the Clements Center for National Security, Asia Policy Program, LBJ School of Public Affairs, Strauss Center for International Security and Law, Intelligence Studies Project, and Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas, Austin hosted "War in Ukraine: An Expert Panel Discussion" on Wednesday, March 2. The experts included Will Inboden, executive director of the Clements Center (and editor-in-chief of TNSR); Bobby Chesney, director of the Strauss Center; Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin; Sheena Greitens, founding director of the Asia Policy Program; Stephen Slick, director of the Intelligence Studies Project; Alexandra Sukalo, postdoctoral fellow at the Clements Center; and, Zoltán Fehér, predoctoral fellow at the Clements Center, and a former Hungarian diplomat. This discussion is essential listening for a better understanding of the ongoing aggressive war being waged by Russia and its implications for international security.

This week we address the history of the presidency writ large with Jeremi Suri, the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair in Global Affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and a professor in the Department of History at The University of Texas. He is a frequent commentator on current affairs and writes for op-ed pages and book reviews all over the country. He hosts his own podcast, This is Democracy, and he is author of several books in American history and the international history of the 20th century. In his book The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office, Dr. Suri sweeps across the history of the American presidency and paints a rather gloomy picture of the institution in the early 21st century. In this episode, he explains why we haven't had a great president since Franklin Roosevelt, in his opinion.

Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at UT-Austin. During our conversation, Jeremi talks about his interest in history, the lessons of the Cold War, and how history can be used to create a more dynamic, interconnected, and healthy society.------------Support this podcast via VenmoSupport this podcast via PayPalSupport this podcast on Patreon------------Show notesLeave a rating on SpotifyLeave a rating on Apple PodcastsFollow Keep Talking on Twitter, Instagram, and FacebookListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube------------(00:50) How Jeremy developed an interest in his current area of study and what he spends a lot of his time doing.(04:46) Jeremy's ideas on what happened in the Soviet Union that led to its collapse(12:29) The Chernobyl explosion of 1986.(13:17) Jeremy shares what brought him to his current place in life and in academia(23:40) How can we help to break some of the unease happening around in the country?(31:15) Why do we say that empathy is the most important characteristic that we all need to nurture in ourselves?(36:34) What are some things people can do to stand as a bulwark against the tide of tribalism and bifurcation?

When a new president is elected, administration officials change but the White House staff often does not. Many of these “White House lifers” maintain their roles for decades – like Dale Haney, the chief groundskeeper since 1972. In The Secret Life of the White House, Susannah Jacob paints a vivid picture of the daily life of the residence staff behind the scenes – illuminated with interviews from dozens of former and current longtime professionals. Jacob argues these individuals are symbols of the independence of the White House, conserving the legacies of past presidents and “continuing to do their jobs and serve whoever moves in.” Susannah Jacob is a writer and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama. As a Ph.D. student in Yale University’s Department of History, Jacob's interests focus on twentieth century America, labor, and political history. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin. Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a professor of history and public affairs. He has authored nine books about contemporary politics and foreign policy. Suri is also a contributor for the New York Times, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, and Foreign Affairs. He holds an A.B. from Stanford University, an M.A. from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. from Yale University, all in history. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

In an attempt to understand where the United States currently stands in relation to the intentions of the founding fathers, Thomas Ricks examines the ancient philosophies that inspired and influenced their vision for the nation. Understanding the differences between the classical educations of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, as well as how each man’s life experiences influenced their interpretations of the ancients, offers insights into the foundation of our American government. Described by General James Mattis as a way to “restore your faith in our country,” Ricks’ latest work offers a critical examination of the ideals on which our country stands. Thomas Ricks is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. As a military reporter for both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, Ricks has covered U. S. military conflicts from Somalia to Yugoslavia to Afghanistan and Iraq. He has written several books and is a contributing editor for Foreign Policy magazine as well as the author of the magazine’s blog “The Best Defense.” Ricks is an advisor on national security at New American Foundation. In conversation with Jeremi Suri Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the university's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dr. Suri is the author and editor of nine books on contemporary politics and foreign policy. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

For this episode, tune in to an important and timely panel discussion about the future of democracy in a global context. We'll be looking at the erosion of democratic norms and the attacks on democratic institutions within Israel and the US, placing it in global context, and thinking about why history matters when we consider important contemporary affairs. Our hope is that this conversation, and the panel of three prominent scholars, can shed some light on these issues of critical importance. We hope you find this episode to be productive and fruitful as we think through some of the most important issues of our time through historical and global context. As you’ll find, there are perhaps more questions than we can consider in an hour, so we trust that this will just be a starting point for a continuing conversation about the history of democracy and its prognosis for the future in a global perspective. Dahlia Scheindlin, a public opinion expert and strategic consultant specializes in conducting research and policy analysis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, regional foreign policy, democracy, and more. She has been an adjunct lecturer at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Tel Aviv University, the Jezreel Valley College, and Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus. She is a co-founder and columnist at +972 Magazine, and is currently a fellow at The Century Foundation, a policy fellow at Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, and she co-hosts The Tel Aviv Review podcast. Joshua Shanes is an Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston,and his research focuses on Central and East European Jewry in the 19th and 20th centuries, specifically turn-of-the-century Galicia and the rise of Zionism as a counter-movement to the traditional Jewish establishment. And he’s published widely on modern Jewish politics, culture, and religion, as well as issues surrounding democracy and fascism, in academic and popular venues including the Washington Post, Slate, Haaretz and elsewhere. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas an Austin, and is a Professor in the Department of History there as well as the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs. Jeremi’s primary research interests include the formation and spread of nation-states, the emergence of modern international relations, the connections between foreign policy and domestic politics, and the rise of knowledge institutions as global actors. He is also the host of the podcast This is Democracy.

Peniel talks with Jeremi Suri on his book, “The Impossible Presidency”, and how America’s highest office has changed in perception and power throughout history. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the university’s Department of History and the LBJ […]

The office of the president in the United States is one of the most visible institutions not just in its own country, but around the world as well. The expectations that the office and officeholder carries are considerable, as are the power that goes with the office. And yet, Americans are frequently disappointed in what their chief executive chooses to do, and perhaps as importantly, in what they choose not to do. For all the power an American president wields, he has a number of profound limitations, and the powerful expectations as well as the fear of failure constrain how effective the president can hope to be. In Jeremi Suri’s Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office (Basic Books, 2017), Suri examines how the presidency came to be regarded as one of the most important institutions in the United States by using five different presidents as case studies, respectively discussing George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt. Each of these men established some precedents while overturning others, and the result that their successors found it difficult to ignore the expectations that had been established for them. In one of the book’s more telling and chilling anecdotes, Suri notes that even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy was attending to multiple different concerns, including ceremonial meetings. The end result has been an office so burdened by ceremonial, domestic, and international concerns that the president simply has no time left in the day to pay close attention to any one thing. Suri’s analysis shows how presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been effectively unable to meet the expectations held by the public. As polling and other metrics suggest that many Americans believe their government to be dysfunctional and at times corrupt, Suri’s analysis suggests that we need to look backwards to understand how the presidency came to be burdened by unrealistic beliefs in the power of the office. Once we understand how the country collectively crafted an office that can no longer effectively function, we can begin to consider solutions, several of which Suri offers as concluding remarks to this history. Jeremi Suri is a professor of history and holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The office of the president in the United States is one of the most visible institutions not just in its own country, but around the world as well. The expectations that the office and officeholder carries are considerable, as are the power that goes with the office. And yet, Americans are frequently disappointed in what their chief executive chooses to do, and perhaps as importantly, in what they choose not to do. For all the power an American president wields, he has a number of profound limitations, and the powerful expectations as well as the fear of failure constrain how effective the president can hope to be. In Jeremi Suri’s Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office (Basic Books, 2017), Suri examines how the presidency came to be regarded as one of the most important institutions in the United States by using five different presidents as case studies, respectively discussing George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt. Each of these men established some precedents while overturning others, and the result that their successors found it difficult to ignore the expectations that had been established for them. In one of the book’s more telling and chilling anecdotes, Suri notes that even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy was attending to multiple different concerns, including ceremonial meetings. The end result has been an office so burdened by ceremonial, domestic, and international concerns that the president simply has no time left in the day to pay close attention to any one thing. Suri’s analysis shows how presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been effectively unable to meet the expectations held by the public. As polling and other metrics suggest that many Americans believe their government to be dysfunctional and at times corrupt, Suri’s analysis suggests that we need to look backwards to understand how the presidency came to be burdened by unrealistic beliefs in the power of the office. Once we understand how the country collectively crafted an office that can no longer effectively function, we can begin to consider solutions, several of which Suri offers as concluding remarks to this history. Jeremi Suri is a professor of history and holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The office of the president in the United States is one of the most visible institutions not just in its own country, but around the world as well. The expectations that the office and officeholder carries are considerable, as are the power that goes with the office. And yet, Americans are frequently disappointed in what their chief executive chooses to do, and perhaps as importantly, in what they choose not to do. For all the power an American president wields, he has a number of profound limitations, and the powerful expectations as well as the fear of failure constrain how effective the president can hope to be. In Jeremi Suri’s Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office (Basic Books, 2017), Suri examines how the presidency came to be regarded as one of the most important institutions in the United States by using five different presidents as case studies, respectively discussing George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt. Each of these men established some precedents while overturning others, and the result that their successors found it difficult to ignore the expectations that had been established for them. In one of the book’s more telling and chilling anecdotes, Suri notes that even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy was attending to multiple different concerns, including ceremonial meetings. The end result has been an office so burdened by ceremonial, domestic, and international concerns that the president simply has no time left in the day to pay close attention to any one thing. Suri’s analysis shows how presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been effectively unable to meet the expectations held by the public. As polling and other metrics suggest that many Americans believe their government to be dysfunctional and at times corrupt, Suri’s analysis suggests that we need to look backwards to understand how the presidency came to be burdened by unrealistic beliefs in the power of the office. Once we understand how the country collectively crafted an office that can no longer effectively function, we can begin to consider solutions, several of which Suri offers as concluding remarks to this history. Jeremi Suri is a professor of history and holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The office of the president in the United States is one of the most visible institutions not just in its own country, but around the world as well. The expectations that the office and officeholder carries are considerable, as are the power that goes with the office. And yet, Americans are frequently disappointed in what their chief executive chooses to do, and perhaps as importantly, in what they choose not to do. For all the power an American president wields, he has a number of profound limitations, and the powerful expectations as well as the fear of failure constrain how effective the president can hope to be. In Jeremi Suri’s Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office (Basic Books, 2017), Suri examines how the presidency came to be regarded as one of the most important institutions in the United States by using five different presidents as case studies, respectively discussing George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt. Each of these men established some precedents while overturning others, and the result that their successors found it difficult to ignore the expectations that had been established for them. In one of the book’s more telling and chilling anecdotes, Suri notes that even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy was attending to multiple different concerns, including ceremonial meetings. The end result has been an office so burdened by ceremonial, domestic, and international concerns that the president simply has no time left in the day to pay close attention to any one thing. Suri’s analysis shows how presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been effectively unable to meet the expectations held by the public. As polling and other metrics suggest that many Americans believe their government to be dysfunctional and at times corrupt, Suri’s analysis suggests that we need to look backwards to understand how the presidency came to be burdened by unrealistic beliefs in the power of the office. Once we understand how the country collectively crafted an office that can no longer effectively function, we can begin to consider solutions, several of which Suri offers as concluding remarks to this history. Jeremi Suri is a professor of history and holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2017 AASLH Annual Meeting Keynote Recording Recorded in Austin, TX September 9, 2017 Speaker: Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin

After the Second World War, American society benefited from unprecedented peace and prosperity. What was key to this success? Americans were very strategic in their deployment of historical wisdom, drawing upon the experiences, institutions and knowledge acquired in earlier decades to build our nation. So far, Americans have not shown the same wisdom in the 21st century. Our society is suffering. The time has come for Americans to reawaken their historical wisdom, analyzing the recent past to identify the key ideas and institutions that will allow our society to thrive once more. About Jeremi Suri Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and professorships in history and public policy. He is the author of five books on contemporary politics and foreign policy including “Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama” published in 2011. Suri’s research and teaching have received numerous prizes. In 2007 Smithsonian Magazine named him one of America’s “Top Young Innovators” in the arts and sciences. His writings appear widely in blogs and print media.