What It Means to Be American
From The David Frum Show by The Atlantic
April 8, 2026 · 1h 1m · Episode 54
About this episode
David Frum discusses the impact of economic turmoil on American institutions and reflects on American ideals with guest Fareed Zakaria.
In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on the nearly two decades of economic turmoil that has caused younger generations to lose faith in American institutions and led to the rise of populism in the United States. David argues that as the country stands on the precipice of a Donald Trump–manufactured economic crisis, perhaps we will learn to appreciate the basic ideas that led to prosperity in the 1980s and ’90s. Then David is joined by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria to reflect on the American ideals that captivated David and Fareed when they first immigrated to the U.S. and whether they still ring true today. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, David and Fareed discuss whether this country remains the same one they moved to many years ago and whether America has strayed from its foundational principles. Finally, David concludes the episode with an examination of Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel, “Invisible Cities,” and a discussion about our postliterate society. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on…
People in this episode
Host: David Frum
Guest: Fareed Zakaria
Topics covered
- American ideals
- populism
- economic turmoil
- immigration
- foundational principles
- postliterate society
Keywords
- American institutions
- populism
- economic crisis
- immigration
- Italo Calvino
- Invisible Cities
- 250th anniversary
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CNN, The Atlantic
Books & works: Invisible Cities
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