Ideology Unbound

Ideology Unbound is a podcast from the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University and hosted by Laura K. Field. We talk about the past and future of ideologies, and about liberalism and its challenges, with thinkers in the United States and around the world.In this episode, Laura Field engages with Russell Muirhead to discuss his book, Ungoverning: The Politics of Chaos and the Attack on the Administrative State, co-authored with Nancy L. Rosenblum. They explore the evolution of conspiracism in politics, the concept of ungoverning, and the challenges faced by the administrative state. Muirhead emphasizes the importance of governmental capacity, the dangers of personal command over policy-making, and the implications of violence in society. The conversation also touches on the legitimacy of grievances against bureaucracy, the role of cultural recognition, and the need for effective civic education.Get Russell Muirhead's new book, Ungoverning: The Politics of Chaos and the Attack on the Administrative State.

Ideology Unbound is a podcast from the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University and hosted by Laura K. Field. We talk about the past and future of ideologies, and about liberalism and its challenges, with thinkers in the United States and around the world.In this episode, Aaron Irion engages with political theorist Matt McManus to discuss his new book The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism. The conversation examines the intellectual roots of liberal socialism, the project of retrieval that animates McManus’s method, and the contemporary political stakes of revisiting this neglected tradition. McManus outlines the book’s central principles—methodological collectivism paired with normative individualism, a developmental ethic, and a commitment to participatory liberal‑democratic institutions—and explains how these ideas draw on figures as varied as Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Karl Marx, Chantal Mouffe, and others.Get Matt McManus's new book The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism.

Ideology Unbound is a podcast from the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University and hosted by Laura K. Field. We talk about the past and future of ideologies, and about liberalism and its challenges, with thinkers in the United States and around the world.In this episode, Laura Field interviews Nicholas Buccola about his book One Man's Freedom, which explores the contrasting ideologies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Barry Goldwater. The conversation delves into their intellectual backgrounds, the historical context of their rise to prominence, and the implications of their differing views on freedom, labor, and civil rights. Buccola emphasizes the importance of storytelling in political theory and the need to confront the realities of social justice and economic dignity. The discussion culminates in the examination of the 1964 clash between King and Goldwater, highlighting the ongoing relevance of their legacies in contemporary politics.Get Nicholas Buccola's book, One Man’s Freedom: Goldwater, King, and the Struggle over an American Ideal