Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Dr. Rebeca Leffler of the University of Florida to discuss the ideas and legacy of German-American political philosopher and intellectual historian Dr. Leo Strauss.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson discussed the US intervention in Iran with Farzan Faramarzi and Dr. Amin Moijiri.Ferguson, Faramarzi, and Moijiri discussed the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian retaliation against neighboring Middle Eastern countries, and what a post-Ayatollah Iran might look like.

This Thursday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Jack Hinrichs, Jake Dueck, and Elise Johnson to discuss Gen Z's perspective on the US involvement in Iran. They discussed the potential of military service, the influence of Israel's intervention in Gaza on Gen Z opinion, and the ways in which Gen Z's prior unfamiliarity with Middle Eastern affairs influences Gen Z opinion.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson discussed the US intervention in Iran with Farzan Faramarzi and Dr. Amin Moijiri. Ferguson, Faramarzi, and Moijiri discussed the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian retaliation against neighboring Middle Eastern countries, and what a post-Ayatollah Iran might look like.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Dr. Yaroslav Kovalchuk to discuss Ukrainian politics since the Russian invasion. Specifically, Drs. Ferguson and Kovalchuk discussed the initiatives and influence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This Thursday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Jack Hinrichs and Arizona politico Troy Holderby to discuss the State of the Union and the Arizona governor's race. Ferguson, Holderby, and Hinrichs chatted about the difference between the Republican Party and President Trump to the electorate, the relative strengths of Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, and the monumental triumph of the US Men's Hockey Team.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Dr. Yaroslav Kovalchuk to discuss Ukrainian politics since the Russian invasion. Specifically, Drs. Ferguson and Kovalchuk discussed the initiatives and influence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This Thursday, Dr. Rob Ferguson and Jack Hinrichs chatted about the 1st Annual Center for American Institutions Midterm Draft and the exciting governor's race in the Peach State.This year, CAI is hosting fantasy football for politics! Fill out a roster of midterms candidates and compete against other political junkies for a gift card and a spot on the "Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues" podcast!Click here to enter:https://forms.gle/3LJHoU8bPgffeeFE6To celebrate this contest, Jack and Dr. Rob discussed the Georgia's governor's race. They chatted about why Keisha Lance Bottoms would possibly want to be governor and the implications of Rick Jackson's entry into an already overcrowded Republican primary.

This Thursday, Dr. Rob Ferguson was joined by Audra Ward and Evan Edwards of the Politics and Leadership Club to discuss Florida politics. Ferguson, Ward, and Evans chatted about the Florida Governor's race, the randomness of Democratic senatorial candidate Alexander Vindman and the oddity of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate James Fishback. Also, we would love for you to participate in our Midterm Draft! It's like fantasy football, but for the midterm elections. Click on the link below to participate!Link: https://forms.gle/3LJHoU8bPgffeeFE6

For thousands of years, development in the American Southwest has been dictated by the flow of water. Population size, economic growth, and environmental collapse are all dictated by the availability of the resource. So how do we legislate the flow of water? Who is deserving of what amount? To learn more about how the Colorado River Compact distributes water throughout the southwest, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Liam Nelson. Nelson, a graduate of Arizona State University, is an expert on the Colorado River Compact for ASU's Model UN Team.

For thousands of years, development in the American Southwest has been dictated by the flow of water. Population size, economic growth, and environmental collapse are all dictated by the availability of the resource.So how do we legislate the flow of water? Who is deserving of what amount? To learn more about how the Colorado River Compact distributes water throughout the southwest, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Liam Nelson. Nelson, a graduate of Arizona State University, is an expert on the Colorado River Compact for ASU's Model UN Team.

This Thursday, Dr. James Strickland of Florida State University joined Dr. Rob Ferguson to discuss the contours of lobbying in both state governments and the federal government.Drs. Ferguson and Strickland discussed the rise and purpose of lobbyists, the conflicts of interest that arise with lobbying, and why hospitals hire tobacco lobbyists.Dr. James Strickland is one of America's foremost scholars on lobbying. As an academic, he has published many articles on lobbying in top journals. Furthermore, he leads the Constitutional Liberty branch of FSU's Institute for Governance and Civics.

This Thursday, Dr. Rob Ferguson and Jack Hinrichs chatted about the 1st Annual Center for American Institutions Midterm Draft and the exciting governor's race in the Peach State. This year, CAI is hosting fantasy football for politics! Fill out a roster of midterms candidates and compete against other political junkies for a gift card and a spot on the "Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues" podcast!Click here to enter: https://forms.gle/3LJHoU8bPgffeeFE6To celebrate this contest, Jack and Dr. Rob discussed the Georgia's governor's race. They chatted about why Keisha Lance Bottoms would possibly want to be governor and the implications of Rick Jackson's entry into an already overcrowded Republican primary.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson was joined by Farzan Faramarzi and Dr. Amin Mojiri to discuss the popular uprisings against the Iranian government. Ferguson, Faramarzi, and Mojiri discussed the motivations and strategies of the popular protests. They also discussed the potential ramifications of the protests on global politics.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Dr. Scott Lucas, Professor at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin and editor of EA WorldView.Dr. Lucas and EA WorldView have reported on international events since 2008. Their reporting on Iran, Gaza, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been noted for its ability to thoroughly report on oppressive regimes.Drs. Lucas and Ferguson discussed how EA WorldView has obtained its reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the value of international journalism in today’s global context.Read EA WorldView's coverage on the Russian invasion of Ukraine by clicking on the link below: https://eaworldview.com/

This Thursday, Dr. James Strickland of Florida State University joined Dr. Rob Ferguson to discuss the contours of lobbying in both state governments and the federal government. Drs. Ferguson and Strickland discussed the rise and purpose of lobbyists, the conflicts of interest that arise with lobbying, and why hospitals hire tobacco lobbyists. Dr. James Strickland is one of America's foremost scholars on lobbying. As an academic, he has published many articles on lobbying in top journals. Furthermore, he leads the Constitutional Liberty branch of FSU's Institute for Governance and Civics.

This week, Jack Hinrichs takes the host’s chair to interview Dr. Rob Ferguson about the crises that are currently wracking Canadian politics.Hinrichs and Ferguson discuss the Albertan and Quebecois separatist movements, as well as the unique structure of the Canadian confederation.

This week, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with members of the ASU Model UN Team to discuss how competitive diplomacy can teach students about international relations and civil discourse.Dr. Rob Ferguson discussed the function of Model UN and intricacies of the actual UN with ASU Model UN President Anna Wangerin and Undersecretary of Delegate Relations Konstantin Rezvoi. Model UN novice Jack Hinrichs was also in attendance.

This Monday, Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Dr. Scott Lucas, Professor at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin and editor of EA WorldView.Dr. Lucas and EA WorldView have reported on international events since 2008. Their reporting on Iran, Gaza, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been noted for its ability to thoroughly report on oppressive regimes. Drs. Lucas and Ferguson discussed how EA WorldView has obtained its reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the value of international journalism in today’s global context. Read EA WorldView's coverage on the Russian invasion of Ukraine by clicking on the link below: https://eaworldview.com/

This week, Rob Ferguson was joined by a full suite of Gen Z Political Analysts to chat about the midterm elections in Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.He also announced the forthcoming Center for American Institutions Midterm Draft! Stay tuned for more details.