Public Affairs

Overview

Public Affairs hosted speakers who are prominent people in the world of international affairs, from acclaimed authors, to Nobel laureates, to high-ranking UN officials.

JAN 25, 2010 Podcast

Red Cloud at Dawn: Truman, Stalin, and the End of the Atomic Monopoly

How does a state make a nuclear bomb? How does it hide its weapons program? How do other states detect nuclear proliferation? Gordin addresses important ...

DEC 15, 2009 Podcast

On Compromise and Rotten Compromises

Compromise can be a political virtue, especially for the sake of peace. When is political compromise acceptable, and when is it fundamentally rotten? What if ...

DEC 14, 2009 Podcast

Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What it Will Mean for Our World

The real key to bringing economic and political change to the Muslim world is capitalism, says Vali Nasr. Entrepreneurial middle classes the world over have ...

DEC 9, 2009 Podcast

How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities

The market's failure was not simply a result of greed, mass myopia, or government failure, says John Cassidy, although these were all contributing factors. "I ...

DEC 4, 2009 Podcast

Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present

Should civil resistance be seen as potentially replacing violence completely, or as a phenomenon that operates in conjunction with, and as a modification of, power ...

DEC 3, 2009 Podcast

Interesting Times: Writings from a Turbulent Decade

George Packer discusses some of his essays from the period of September 11, 2001 to November 4, 2008; the luxury of being able to write long, in-depth articles for "...

NOV 24, 2009 Podcast

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

Political philosopher Michael Sandel turns the Council into a classroom. Using questions such as military service, he engages the audience in a lively debate on ...

NOV 10, 2009 Podcast

Emerging Challenges in a Network World

In an increasingly interconnected world, soft power and engagement with all the world's players will become increasingly important--and that includes talking to Hamas and the ...

NOV 2, 2009 Podcast

Five to Rule Them All : The UN Security Council and the Making of the Modern World

What has been, is, and should be the role of the UN Security Council? Bosco chronicles its history--its successes and its failures—and concludes with ...

This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

OCT 30, 2009 Podcast

This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

Financial crises are not random events, say Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff. Looking at the the data on boom and bust cycles that have occurred ...