Under Pressure: U.S. Elections, Identity, and Emotion

As the 2026 midterms approach, election officials across the country are confident they can deliver free and fair elections. But can they convince voters? In the third and final episode of Talking Policy’s miniseries on U.S. elections, guest host Georgia Kernell sits down with Thad Kousser and Lauren Prather, co-directors of UC San Diego’s new Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections. Drawing on their latest research, they explore what’s fueling Americans’ concerns about election security, why trust in the electoral process is eroding, and what can be done to restore it.This episode was recorded on October 8, 2026, with additional recording on October 14, 2026. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Why do people believe the things they do, and how do those beliefs affect how they vote? In this second episode of our Talking Policy miniseries on U.S. elections, guest host Georgia Kernell is joined by professors Ben Bishin and Jennifer Merolla at the University of California, Riverside for a closer look at how group identities shape voters' attitudes and behaviors at the ballot box. They argue that political messaging that emphasizes a common plight—such as economic policy issues—may be the key to uniting a currently divided American public.This episode was recorded on September 15, 2026, with additional recording on October 14, 2026. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Political campaigns in the United States devote millions of dollars to advertising and media strategies in an attempt to influence voters. But can the media truly change the way voters see the world and what they do at the ballot box? In this first episode of a new Talking Policy miniseries on U.S. elections, guest host Georgia Kernell, a political scientist at UCLA, is joined by Stuart Soroka and Lynn Vavreck to examine the information environment surrounding U.S. elections, and how even the smallest persuasive effects or changes to the media ecosystem can lead to major impacts on the political landscape. This episode was recorded on April 2, 2026, with additional recording on October 8, 2026. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

In September 2026, UC Press published the second IGCC-led issue of Current History, a century-old magazine of global affairs. The issue features a collection examining rising strains in civil-military relations in the United States and other democracies, where militaries are being pulled into undemocratic politics.On this episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler speaks with two scholars of civil-military relations and contributing authors to the September issue, Rebecca Best and Lindsay Cohn, about the changing relationship between the U.S. military, political leadership, and the American public. They examine the forces driving the politicization of the armed forces; what the structure and traditions of the U.S. military reveal about its role in a democratic society; and how recent controversies—including the removal of senior military officers and the deployment of troops in American cities—are testing longstanding norms surrounding civilian control, military professionalism, and public trust in the armed forces.This episode was recorded on September 2, 2026. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

In July, IGCC hosted the 36th Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1993 to reduce the risk of conflict in Northeast Asia and beyond, the convening brought together scholars and current and former officials from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.What are the forces reshaping Northeast Asia’s security landscape—and how do they look from Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow, and Washington? In this special episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler sits down with an expert from each of the five countries represented at NEACD to explore the questions that animated this year’s discussions and what they reveal about the region’s changing geopolitical order.These interviews were recorded over the course of July 23-24, 2026, with additional recording on August 6, 2026. The episode has been edited for length and clarity.The Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) is made possible with support from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

In a moment when discussions about the shifting global order are crowded by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf; the rise of China; and the repositioning of the United States and Europe—the role of Africa in the international system is often overlooked. On this episode of Talking Policy, Stephan Haggard, IGCC research director and senior editor of Current History, speaks with Folashadé Soulé, a contributing author to the July 2026 issue of the UC Press journal that is now under the editorial management of IGCC. Soulé shows how African states have used diplomacy, regional organizations, and international law to advance sovereignty, challenge global power imbalances, and expand Africa’s influence on the global stage.This episode was recorded on July 7, 2026. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

The global landscape has changed drastically since the development of the first nuclear weapons—from the rise of new great powers, to the rapid innovation and expansion of new technologies. On this episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler is joined by Thom Mason, the director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Together, they discuss the shifting world order, the future of nuclear deterrence, and the new generation of nuclear security specialists.This episode was recorded on May 14, 2026. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

On February 5, 2026, New START, the last remaining bilateral strategic nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, officially expired, ending decades of cooperation between the two countries that aimed to make the world safer. On this episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler sits down with Mike Albertson, a former federal employee who had a seat at the table during New START negotiations. Together, they discuss exactly what is lost following the treaty's formal expiration, the period of nuclear arms control erosion that led us here, and the prospects for future arms control agreements in a post-New START world, which now includes China as a major player.This episode was recorded on February 20, 2026. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Since 1945, nearly a quarter of civil wars have ended in victory for rebel groups. The stories of how these groups function and fare after their succession of power, however, are complex and varied. In this episode of Talking Policy, host Lindsay Shingler sits down with political scientist Kai Thaler of UC Santa Barbara to discuss his new book, When Rebels Win: Ideology, Statebuilding, and Power After Civil Wars. Together, they explore why civil wars have replaced interstate wars as the most prevalent form of armed conflict since World War II, and what these types of struggles for power ultimately mean for their regions and the world when rebels are successful in their attempt to gain control of the state.This episode was recorded on January 29, 2026. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

In January 2025, Talking Policy convened a group of five experts to consider what Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States might mean for America and for the world. In this episode, Talking Policy host Lindsay Shingler sits down for five more conversations to make sense of America’s evolving approach under the Trump administration to the global economy, China, security, the environment, and the rule of law.Interviews were recorded over the course of January 6–8, 2026. The views expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of their institutions or funders.