Best HistoryBehindNews Podcasts (2025)

1
"One Big Beautiful Bill" - Entitlements in U.S. History | S5E26 1:24:46

4h ago1:24:46

1:24:46

What are "Uncontrollables"? Which president decreased U.S. entitlement spending the most? What precentage of our budget are the mandatory entitlement porgrams? ►++++ 🚩About My 42nd Guest Scholar: Dr. John Cogan is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where his research focus is on the US budget and fiscal policy and federal entitlement progra…

1
El Salvador: A Tiny Country With A Big Prison And High Crime History | S5E25 58:07

3d ago58:07

58:07

Gang membership in El Salvador has a common theme, which is also a potential solution for reducing gang membership and gang violence there. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest: ►How did El Salvador become the world's most violent country? ►Why is crime so high in El Salvador? ►What are deferred vengeance and retaliation? ►What …

1
Tariffs' History: U.S. Politics & Foreign Policy | S5E24 1:00:19

10d ago1:00:19

1:00:19

What are tariffs really used for? For economic protection? For political gain? For enforcing foreign policy? In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Why James Madison foresaw tariffs as an inevitable source of conflict? ►In U.S. history, did Americans ever complain that tariffs are really a tax on the people? ►What was th…

1
History of the Papacy | S5E23 1:21:41

17d ago1:21:41

1:21:41

How long was the longest conclave? Was St. Peter actually buried in the Vatican? Has the papacy always been in Rome? In this interview, we discuss the following: ►secret excavations in the Vatican ►an ancient Roman cemetery under St. Peter's Basilica ►How did Rome remain the center of Christianity? The answer is not that simple! ►In early Christian…

1
Power of the Presidency: What Our Founders Envisioned | S5E22 1:04:17

23d ago1:04:17

1:04:17

Where do our presidents get their powers? Are those powers enumerated in the Constitution? Or are those powers bestowed by Congress? For our Founders, was the presidency essentially an instrument of legislative agenda? Or did they believe that the president possesses some sovereign right distinct and separate from Congress? In this interview, I dis…

1
Political History of Secularism's Rise and Religion's Retreat | S2E21 58:11

1M ago58:11

58:11

Politically speaking, is America a Christian nation? Is there any country that you would define as a “Christian Nation”? In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Did Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison believe that America is a Christian nation? ►Is Canada a Christian nation? ►Is Britain a Christian nation? ►What is A…

1
S5E20 | Tariffs and Taxes - History of U.S. Revenues 1:13:01

1M ago1:13:01

1:13:01

Taxes and wars go hand in hand. And as much as our current partisan politics suggest otherwise, it wasn't a Democratic U.S. president that ushered in the income tax. It was a Republican president - Honest Abe! And later, it was during another Republican president's term that the income tax became permanent - William Taft. The irony of it is that th…

1
S5E19 | South Korea: Perceptions of Failed History & Incomplete National Identity 1:21:57

1M ago1:21:57

1:21:57

"Crisis of Historical Subjectivity" - my guest, Dr. Namhee Lee, used this phrase to describe the Korean people's experience of 'failed history' and their collective effort to overcome that past. This is the story of "disguised employees" - South Korea's intellectuals who left high-paying jobs to instead work on the factory floor with the aim of bri…

1
S5E18 | America's Arctic Security - What Is "Arctic Exceptionalism"? 1:26:00

2M ago1:26:00

1:26:00

I start this interview with a super simple question: where is the Arctic? As it turns out, the answer may not be so simple. In fact, it's a serious question that invokes geopolitical conflicts that seem to be undermining the "exceptionalism" of the Arctic. ►In this interview, I discuss the following with Dr. Troy Bouffard: Countries in the Arctic -…

1
S5E17 | POTUS v. SCOTUS: How America's Presidents Dared & Defied America's Highest Court 1:33:10

2M ago1:33:10

1:33:10

Pres. Trump is not the first U.S. president to have strained relations with America's courts, including our Highest Court - the Supreme Court of the United States. In fact, more than one U.S. president has openly expressed his personal animosity toward one or more Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. In this interview, I discuss the following with D…

1
S5E16 | The Fed: Unlikely Story of How Our Central Bank Was Created 58:07

2M ago58:07

58:07

Chairman Powell gave a much anticipated press conference this week. Did you know that most developed countries had central banks before we did? If so, then how did our financial system function? And did you know, that for much of our history, we've hated big banks (some still do)? If that's the case, then how was the Fed created? This is a story th…

1
S5E15 | An Immigration Power Not Used By Any President - Until Pres. Trump 1:05:11

2M ago1:05:11

1:05:11

Immigration Exceptionalism! ►Is there something about immigration law and policies that distinguishes it from all other legal issues and policy matters? ►Does the Constitution carve out an exception for immigration law? And if so, what is that exception? ►As for the title of this podcast, what power has Pres. Trump used that no other U.S. president…

1
S5E14 | America's Men of Destiny. America's Manifest Destiny. 1:20:46

3M ago1:20:46

1:20:46

Pres. Trump admires Pres. Polk and Pres. McKinley - two presidents who expanded America's territories in an age when territorial expansion was a measure of national success. In this interview, my guest compares Pres. Trump with Pres. Polk and Pres. McKinley. He also explains Manifest Destiny, and indulges my questions about what I term 'America's M…

1
Bonus | US Assurances: How Zelensky's Picture In Iran Could Hurt America 12:47

3M ago12:47

12:47

Do you think Russia would have dared to attack Ukraine when Ukraine had the third largest nuclear arsenal? And why is there a picture of President Zelensky hanging on the side of an overpass in Tehran, Iran? And no, this episode is neither about Ukraine nor about Iran. This is my take about America and American assurances. 🚩Related interviews 🎧Finl…

1
S5E13 | America's Tycoons - Elon Musk's Political Power Compared To Others 1:10:43

3M ago1:10:43

1:10:43

Elon Musk is different than prior American business tycoons. Arguably, he is more powerful. More poignantly, as my guest argues, he is less dedicated to democracy, and that makes him frighteningly more dangerous. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Who was Andrew Carnegie? ►How was he similar to Musk? ►How was Carnegi…

1
S5E12 | Germany's Elections - AfD Party, anti-Immigrant politics & American neo-Nazis 1:16:41

3M ago1:16:41

1:16:41

Did you know that Helmut Kohl, the German Chancellor (1982-99), implemented a planto deport Turkish immigrant back to Türkiye? This is the History of Immigration & Far-right Politics in Germany. Mr. Elon Musk & Vice Pres. JD Vance have endorsed the AfD - Germany's anti-immigrant, Islamophobic, far-right party. And although the AfD commands 20% of t…

1
S5E11 | How Japan Works - The "most important bilateral relationship in the world, bar none." 1:04:23

3M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

Japan's PM Ishiba wanted to visit Pres. Trump soon after Nov. 5. But President-elect Trump didn't grant him an audience until last week. Back in 2016, Japan PM Abe visited President-elect Trump at the Trump Tower. But why have Japanese leaders rushed to meet with Mr. Trump? Because America is important to Japan's economy and security. And vice vers…

1
Is America Repeating German Empire's Past Mistakes? | Bonus 11:18

3M ago11:18

11:18

The German Empire was one of the most powerful nations. However, at the height of its power, it abruptly changed its foreign policy from accommodative and collaborative to aggressive and combative. In this video, I compare our country's new style of foreign policy to the German Empires. About the Image: Pres. Trump & Pres. Zelensky in the Oval Offi…

1
S5E10 | How California Ranks In Wildfire Management 1:05:48

4M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

How could the Los Angeles fires happen? We knew about Santa Ana winds. We knew about the extremely dry conditions. There were no surprises. So, how could this happen? Is California any good at wildfire management? In this interview, we talk about the following: ►Native Americans' fire management ►Good wildfires ►Smokey Bear ►American homes built cl…

1
S5A9 | Are Tariffs As American As Apple Pie? 10:51

4M ago10:51

10:51

Historically, America thrived on tariffs. In fact, we had tariffs from the very beginning - from Colonial times to the Confederation period to our Constitution, and then throughout the antebellum period, through America's industrial rise and from there up to WWII. In this episode, I'll share a brief review of this history along with my take on how …

1
S5E8 | America's Big Ally: Our History With Colombia 1:12:14

4M ago1:12:14

1:12:14

America In Colombia is a story of secession, "School of Assassins", drugs, immigration, alliance and interference - not necessarily in that order! In this interview, we talk about the following: ►1840s: America's interest in Colombia and Panama ►How Colombia neglected Panama ►Panama's secession from Colombia with American help ►How Colombians learn…

1
S5E7 | Trump's Speaking Style Compared To Other Presidents 56:05

4M ago56:05

56:05

Presidential words = action, because presidents have power. In this interview, we talk about the following: ►Why Trump's 2nd inaugural address was more like aState of the Union Address. ►How does Trump's 2nd inaugural address compare toother presidents? ►How did the indoors' inauguration setting affectthe cadence of Trump's speech? Its echo? ►What …

1
S5A6 | Inauguration Stories: President For One Day 14:30

4M ago14:30

14:30

April 30, March 4, March 5, January 20, & January 21. These are America's presidential inauguration days. In this brief episode, I share with you stories about our presidential inaugurations, including the one about the person who, arguably, was America's president for one day. And here is my post about this podcast, which includes photos of some o…

1
S5E5 | From Wars With Canada To Tariffs On Canada 1:12:10

4M ago1:12:10

1:12:10

51st U.S. State! America's interest in incorporating Canada, in some fashion, is as old as our Republic. In those early days and continuing until almost the end of the 19th century, our relationship with Canada was defined by recurring borders raids and wars, our distrust of Canada and our various plans to gobble up our northern neighbor, which was…

1
S5E4 | LA Fires: Rebuilding, Legal Ramifications & History 43:05

4M ago43:05

43:05

This is a personal story about a beautiful neighborhood, with kind and supportive neighbors. A beautiful neighborhood that's no more! And this episode is also about the history of coastal Los Angeles, particularly Malibu. My guest explains the legal ramifications of the LA fires and explains how real estate investors will assess and support the hug…

1
S5E3 | Does Trump Help Greenlanders Play World Powers Against Each other? 1:07:47

4M ago1:07:47

1:07:47

Greenland, Denmark & America - a triangular relation that, per my guest, augurs benefits for Greenlanders. If that's the case, then... ►What do Greenlanders think of Mr. Trump's ideas for their island? ►What do Greenland's indigenous peoples & environmentalists think of America? ►Why did Denmark change Greenland's status from colony to province? ►C…

1
S5A2 | The First State Funeral. The First National Funeral. 11:14

5M ago11:14

11:14

Funerals of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Harrison, Lincoln, Harding, Taft, FDR, JFK and more. What exactly does a "state fuernal" mean? And how many U.S. presidents had state funerals? I didn't get the chance to answer these question in the podcast. But I answered them in this post, and provided photos as well: https://bit.ly/HbN-Bonus-S5E1-7 I ho…

1
S5E1 | How The Boring, Simple Process of Counting Votes Caused Crises 1:34:06

5M ago1:34:06

1:34:06

The Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) was law for 135 years. But then, Jan. 6, 2021, happened - the cause of which some partially attributed to the ECA (more about this in the interview). So, what was to be done? In 2022, Congress passed the ECRA, which will be law on Jan. 6, 2025, when the 119th Congress counts the 2024 Electoral votes. The ECRA i…

1
Christmas, Christianity, Controversy & Commercialization | S4EBonus Christmas 1:03:54

5M ago1:03:54

1:03:54

Why Dec. 25? Why so much Christmas conflict & controversy in Christianity's history? Why is Christmas so important to Christianity? And to America? In this episode, I ask my guest, Dr. Carey Roberts, the following questions: ►Why is Christmas such a grand celebration? What does this tell us about Christianity? ►Did it take a while for Christmas to …

1
Bashar's Biographer & U.S. Presidential Advisor Tells Inside Story | S4E24 1:04:31

5M ago1:04:31

1:04:31

"I could see him become much more comfortable with power." Did you know that Syrians welcomed Bashar al-Assad as "a breath of fresh air" when he initially assumed power? My guest, Dr. David Lesch, has visited Syria 35 times. In 15 of those visits, he met with Mr. Assad to write his biography. But after the biography was published, Mr. Assad invited…

1
S4E23: What's Missing In Our Political Movements Now 49:58

6M ago49:58

49:58

Civil Rights Movement vs. Current-Day Climate Movement Did political movements of the 1960s and '70s have deeper roots with longer lasting positive impacts than our 21st century political movements? How would we define a political movement? Why did the Civil Rights movement achieved many tangible successes but the Climate movement has not? How has …

1
Thanksgiving - The Real Story! From 1524 to 1621. And what happened in 1622? | Bonus 1:03:46

6M ago1:03:46

1:03:46

Prof. Silverman describes the first Thanksgiving: an accidental feast between frenemies that was never repeated. How much is our Thanksgiving tradition based on real events that transpired sometime in the fall of 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts? And why does it matter anyway? Don't all nations have feel-good traditions that are partly based on fact…

1
S4E22: African American Elite - History Not Often Told & A Take On Kamala Harris's Defeat 1:21:10

6M ago1:21:10

1:21:10

The African American elite - a history of America that we don't often hear about in our popular culture. With Ms. Kamala Harris's swift nomination and crushing defeat, in this interview my guest and I approach African American history from a different angle and with a fresh perspective - stories of their intellectual, organizational and business ac…

1
S4E21: Elon Musk’s Super PAC vs. Dark Money - It's Not About "Citizens United". 1:02:24

7M ago1:02:24

1:02:24

"I don't care who does the electing, as long as I do the nominating!" William M. Tweed (1823-78), New York political boss of Tammany Hall. Story of how billionaires determine our voting choices. Big money has replaced the power of 19th century party bosses. In this interview, my guest explains how dark money controls our elections and how big money…

1
S4E20: How Polls Predict Voting Preferences In A Presidential Election Year? 1:13:19

7M ago1:13:19

1:13:19

►Where do pollsters get their participants? ►Do election polling methods and target audiences change as we get closer to Election Day? ►Do Americans vote for candidates who match their values and positions? Or do we vote for candidates with the best campaigns? ►Are there tried-and-true election polling methods? ►Do polls influence election outcomes…

1
Why Trump's Maximal Sanctions Against Iran Backfired on America | Bonus 7:03

7M ago7:03

7:03

👉full episode: https://bit.ly/UME-S1E39 ►Are U.S. sanctions on Iran working? ►Are U.S. sanctions against Iran actually working against the United States? ►Have sanctions empowered and emboldened Iran's Revolutionary Guard… to the point that they were ready for war with the United States? ►Did sanctions help Iran's regime crush the Mahsa Amini prote…

1
S4E19: Debunking How China Kept Its Prices Low 1:10:53

8M ago1:10:53

1:10:53

Has China now reached its age of complacency? To answer this question, Dr. Wang (see bio below) takes us through the history of China's economic miracle of the last 40 years. But the story starts even before that... when impoverished Chinese villagers decided to take matters into their own hands and improve their lives - in spite of their governmen…

1
S4E18: Rural America's Identity & Politics. Why They Vote Republican? 1:08:32

8M ago1:08:32

1:08:32

Did you know there are 70 definitions of rural? This is the story of rural America. And although geography does matter for the purposes of this discussion, rural is a loaded term with a complex meaning that cannot readily be determined by looking at the map. In popular culture, rural may have a negative perception. Regardless of how the media, movi…

1
S4E17: What's In A Generation? Your Age, Your Sex, Your Vote 1:19:02

9M ago1:19:02

1:19:02

Are young American men willing to elect a woman for the highest office in our country? Watch video of this interview: https://bit.ly/HbN-YT-S4E18 In this interview, I ask the following questions: What defines an American generation? Do we have a new generation every 20 to 25 years? Who are Millenials? Gen Zs? How are political movements now, by you…

1
The Story Behind Our Independence Day | Bonus 54:46

11M ago54:46

54:46

What is Decoration Day? Did the South celebrate the 4th of July? As it turns out, the history of the 4th of July is not that straightforward. For example, it took about a century for the recognition of our Independence Day as a federal holiday. And for some 80 years after the Civil war, some parts of the South, including Vicksburg, did not celebrat…

1
S4E16: Elon Musk and History of America's Huge CEO Pay Packages 1:12:20

11M ago1:12:20

1:12:20

►My guest claims that Mr. Musk's compensation is $0! How is this possible? ►What are the different components of a CEO's pay package?►Why have CEO salaries stayed constant for decades? ►Why did CEO stock options significantly increase in the 1990s?►Why did CEO pay for performance dramatically increase after 2006? ►Who determines CEO pay? And how? T…

1
S4E15: Debunking Histories of Conservatism & Jewish Americans 1:03:22

12M ago1:03:22

1:03:22

►What does it mean to be conservative? ►Is Donald Trump a conservative? ►How are most experts misunderstanding the history of America's conservatism? ►How are most experts misunderstanding an important part of modern Jewish American history? My guest has correctly predicted the outcome of every U.S. presidential election since 1984. In this episode…

1
S4E14 : Georgia's Existential Moment - Join EU Or Return To Russia's Orbit 1:13:34

1y ago1:13:34

1:13:34

►Georgia is a country between two civilizations - Europe & Asia, and Islam and Christianity ►Until the Russians came, Georgia had maintained its status as an independent state. ►Georgia has punched above its weight under Russian and Soviet rule - prime example: Stalin, the most powerful Soviet leader, was Georgian! In this conversation, Dr. Jones t…

1
S4E13: History of Gambling - Divinations, Julius Caesar, Steamboats & Vegas 1:03:50

1y ago1:03:50

1:03:50

►How we gambled before ash economy? ►Are religion and gambling somehow connected? ►How did risk-taking change after humanity settled down? ►How did 2nd chances - the concept of starting again - develop in America's gambling? ►Why did Las Vegas and Atlantic City seesaw on legalizing gambling? 🚩About My Guest: Dr. David Schwartz is UNLV's ombuds and …

1
S4E12: Ecuador: The Undoing Of A Once Peaceful, Multicultural Country 1:03:59

1y ago1:03:59

1:03:59

"The continent's most violent country" is a phrase used in BBC News this week. In this episode, my guest scholar, Dr. Carmen Martinez Novo, takes us through the history of Ecuador's indigenous peoples and their struggles for equal rights and environmental rights, including an almost three-decade lawsuit against Chevron (initially Texaco). Of course…

1
S4E11: The Saga of China's Brutal One-Child Policy 1:02:02

1y ago1:02:02

1:02:02

Families with second pregnancies were punished. Quiet often, mothers who became pregnant again were forced to abort - even in the third trimester. But now... China's government is promoting multiple pregnancies. There are even beauty pageants... for pregnant mothers. In this episode, a replay of its original recording in 2021, my guest scholar peel…

1
S4E10: The Longest Continuous Monarchy - Denmark's History 1:08:52

1y ago1:08:52

1:08:52

Denmark was once Europe's greatest Protestant power. But just in a span of two or so decades, it was reduced to a has-been. How did this happen? And what lessons are there for America? In addition, Denmark's monarchy is quite informal and highly approachable, particularly when compared with the British monarchy. 🚩About My Guest: Dr. Paul Douglas Lo…

1
S4E9: Did Persians Really Lose Their Empire To Arabs? Were They Persians Or Iranians? 1:24:42

1y ago1:24:42

1:24:42

►How did the mighty Sasanian Persian Empire fall to the Muslim Arabs? ►What happened in the Persian Empire on February 9, in the year 628? ►Where is the tomb of the last Sasanian King of kings? Were the Achaemenid and Sasanian Empires Persian or Iranian? What's the significance of these terms in the context of the past? How about now? Or in the 20t…

1
S4E8: America's Conspiracy Theories - From Taylor Swift/Kelce Back to WWI 1:02:56

1y ago1:02:56

1:02:56

World War I was a major turning point for America's conspiracy theories. Before WWI, conspiracy theories targeted minorities and marginalized groups. But after WWI, conspiracy theories became about our government, about the Deep State. My guest for this episode is Dr. Kathryn Olmsted, a professor at the History Dept of UC Davis. She is the author o…

1
S4E7: Is Yemen The Graveyard of Empires? Are Houthis A Ragtag Army? 2:54

1+ y ago2:54

2:54

Out of the 3 major trade routes in the Middle East before the Suez Canal, 2 traversed through Yemen. No wonder the Sasanian Persians, the Ottomans, the Portuguese and the British all occupied and attempted to colonize Yemen. In this episode our guest scholar, Dr. Charles Schmitz, will explain the rise of Houthis in the context of Yemen's religion a…

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