222 | Michael Ignatieff on the Future of Democracy

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A special live edition recorded in front of an audience in Cambridge: David talks to writer, broadcaster, academic and politician Michael Ignatieff about his personal experiences of democratic politics.  From his bruising time as Liberal party leader in Canada to his recent confrontations with the Orban government in Hungary, from climate change to populism, from Johnson to Trump, we discuss what's happened to
democracy and where he sees the grounds for hope.  A wide-ranging conversation about the good and the bad of contemporary politics.

221 | Macron vs Everyone

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We talk to Shahin Vallee, former economics advisor to Emmanuel Macron, about the state of the Macron presidency: from the gilets jaunes to the pensions protests, from dealing with Merkel to facing off with Putin, and from now to the next presidential election in 2022.  Did Macron save the centre of French politics or has he destroyed it?  Can he really be sure he'll beat Le Pen next time?  And what is his plan to rescue the West?  Plus, we discuss what the Griveaux and Mila affairs tell us about the state of French politics.  With Helen Thompson.

219 | Oh Iowa!

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We try to peer through the chaos in Iowa to see who won, who lost and what it means for the future of this presidential race and for American democracy.  Are we heading towards a Bernie vs Bloomberg showdown?  What might happen at a brokered convention?  And how much damage has been done to the Democratic party brand?  Plus we review Trump's State of the Union address.  Great theatre - but was it great politics?  With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle.

218 | Are We Losing Faith in Democracy?

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We talk to Roberto Foa about some of the findings in his groundbreaking new report 'Global Satisfaction with Democracy'.  Where are people most dissatisfied with democracy and why?  Is it being driven by economic factors or is something else going on?  And why does democratic satisfaction divide Europe north/south and east/west?  Plus we talk about what might happen to satisfaction with democracy in the UK post-Brexit.  With Helen Thompson.

217 | Trump vs Iran: Is it for Real?

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David and Helen talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at the Economist, about the fallout from the killing of Soleimani and the future of American power.  Is Trump a madman or is he a realist (or is he neither)?  What sort of threat does Iran pose to American interests in the region and the wider world?  And what has all this got to do with oil and climate change?  Plus, in the week Trump's impeachment trial gets underway, we ask who or what can limit the power of the presidency.

216 | Predictions for 2030 with Azeem Azhar

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An extra episode with Azeem Azhar, tech entrepreneur and host of the Exponential View podcast and newsletter.  We talk about Azeem's predictions for what will shape politics and technology over the next
decade, from climate change to artificial intelligence.  Plus we discuss the Dominic Cummings agenda: will the UK government really be able to harness the dynamism of the tech start-up mindset within the hidebound
structures of Whitehall?  The first of a two part special - you can find the other half of this conversation at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exponential-view-with-azeem-azhar/id1172218725 and the newsletter at https://www.exponentialview.co/