Jack Rakove of Stanford University looks at the Founding Fathers' thoughts on government and specifically at the position James Madison presents in his "Vices of the Political System."
To listen to this lecture, select "Madison's Vices of the Political System" under "Listen to Dr. Rakove's lectures."
Jack Rakove of Stanford University discusses the influences that shaped early American political thought, including the move to rebellion and the formation of the U.S. government at the American Revolution's end.
To listen to this lecture, select "250 Years of Political Theory: Machiavelli, Locke, and Montesquieu" under "Listen to Dr. Rakove's lectures."
Ainslie T. Embree of Columbia University discusses the history and complexity of U.S.-India relations and of India's efforts to define itself as a nation and a world power.
Audio and video options are available. The "Listen to streaming MP3 audio" link is not currently working. However, the option "Download MP3 audio file" appears to be, in actuality, streaming audio.
This mini documentary, produced by NBC, describes the crucial role women played during the American Revolution as they took on the responsibilities of running farms, leading boycotts, and aiding the Continental Army.
To view the documentary, follow the link below and scroll down past "Thomas Paine and 'Common Sense.'"
This mini documentary, produced by NBC, describes Thomas Paine's anonymous pamphlet, "Common Sense"—published shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775—that helped persuade Americans to push for full independence from Britain.
Mary Habeck of Johns Hopkins University looks at the theories backing jihadism and the practice of jihadism. She examines the differences between Islamist and Salafi groups that believe change can be achieved by social/political means and those that believe change can only be realized through violence—the Jihadi groups.
Video and audio options are available.
Marc Sageman, forensic psychiatrist, discusses the importance of gathering actual solid evidence on terrorists, as human beings, and the difficulties present in collecting this information. He describes the information he gathered on a group of modern Salafi terrorists and the environment they came from.
Video and audio options are available.
Michael Radu of the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Center on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Homeland Security examines the definition of terrorism throughout history and around the globe—including how the media muddies the waters and how different nations and cultures today label certain acts as terrorism and refuse to label other actions as such.
Video and audio options are available.
Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College and Barry Rubin of the Global Research in International Affairs Center explore the political turmoil currently taking place in the Middle East, including the rise to prominence of Islamists in politics. Gerges argues that the Islamist powers rise to fill a vacuum of legitimate political authority. Rubin emphasizes the importance of Arab nationalism in the region's internal and global politics and the staying power of some of the region's regimes.
Video and audio options are available.
David Forte of Cleveland State University discusses the development of Islam away from its original written texts, arguing that the legal community, the needs of empire, and tribalism have distorted the religion's spiritual message, resulting in the current harsh treatment of apostates and religious minorities. He includes some comparison of Islam's development to that of Christianity and Judaism.
Video and audio options are available.