The American Idea

Jeff is joined by Justice Sharon Kennedy, Chief Justice of the Ohio State Supreme Court to discuss the Rule of Law - what is it? Why is it so essential to limited, fair government? How is it promoted, protected, and how can we understand it better so as to pass on its value to future generations?

Join us as we look at some of the most foundational, essential ideas, moments, and events in our history as we look forward to America's 2...

America is, at its core, a nation founded on ideas, and those ideas have faced criticism, revision, and review over the centuries. Abraham Lincoln, who once said that he didn’t have a political idea that didn’t spring from the Declaration of Independence, not only reframed the meaning of the Civil War, but also pointed back to America’s Founding to assert what America should and could be in the future.

The Gettysburg Address is far ...

What are entitlements? How did they come to be so entrenched in American politics and economics? Why is it that people say that Social Security is going to run out of money? What does this have to do with you? Jeff welcomes analyst Jim Capretta to discuss the origins of America’s entitlement programs, how they have evolved, and why we are reaching a point where something must be done to shore up programs that are no longer fiscally...

Alexander Hamilton didn’t get his due until a Hip-Hip musical brought him to the public eye, over 200 years after his death. But what did he contribute to the American Founding? What did he contribute to the #1 cited source by the Supreme Court, The Federalist? Renowned historian and author Stephen Knott joins Jeff to kick off our series of “Freedom for the Next 250” episodes, leading up to America's 250th birthday.

Host: Jeff Sikke...

Think Herbert Hoover was just a failed Great Depression president? Think again. Historian George Nash reveals the shocking truth about one of America's most misunderstood leaders in this eye-opening episode of The American Idea.

What You'll Discover: How Hoover saved more lives than perhaps any person in history through WWI humanitarian efforts Why both Democrats AND Republicans wanted him as president in 1920 (FDR even supported hi...

In August 1861, General John C. Fremont—once America's most famous explorer and the Republican Party's first presidential nominee—issued an unauthorized order freeing all slaves in Missouri. President Lincoln swiftly revoked it, fearing the decision would drive crucial border states into Confederate hands. The clash between these two men revealed a fundamental tension: Fremont operated on moral urgency and personal instinct, while ...

What was the original purpose of Congress? What powers did the Founders give it to fulfill that purpose? How does that compare to the institution we see today, in which Americans profess very little trust. Explore the historical and constitutional roots of the “First Branch” and how time and some well-intentioned changes have distorted its powers and role within our government.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Sub...

Discover how 55 delegates created the U.S. Constitution in just 88 days during the summer of 1787. Constitutional scholar Gordon Lloyd breaks down the Philadelphia Convention using his acclaimed "four-act drama" framework, revealing the behind-the-scenes negotiations, heated debates, and crucial compromises that shaped American government.

What You'll Learn:

✓ How Madison's Virginia Plan clashed with the New Jersey Plan

✓ The Connecti...

This episode explores James Ellman's book "Seeds of Victory: Defeat, Triumph, and the American Way of War" with host Jeff Sikkenga from the Ashbrook Center. This military strategy documentary examines how US war tactics follow a consistent pattern: initial strategic defeats followed by rapid adaptation and ultimate victory. From Washington's military disasters in New York (1776) to early setbacks in Korea, American military history...

14 August 1945: VJ Day, and with the end of fighting in the Pacific and Japan's surrender, World War 2 finally comes to an end. Dr. John Moser is joined today by author and historian Walter Borneman to discuss how and why the war ended when it did, and how that ending shaped the decades to come, and, indeed, our world today in political and strategic terms.

Read Walt's book, The Admirals, and learn more about WW2 in the Pacific - y...

What is the national debt? To whom or what does the U.S. government owe all this money? What does it mean to you today, your children and grandchildren tomorrow, and for the continued health of American political and economics institutions and norms?

Jeff discusses all these issues and more with Dr. Rob Wyllie, Professor of Political Economy.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Mercy Otis Warren not only wrote one of the first comprehensive histories of the American Revolution, she was also a leading Antifederalist thinker - and yet she is overlooked in most conventional histories of the era today. What makes her important and memorable? What can we learn from her today?

Join Dr. Cara Rogers Stevens this week as she discusses this important American Founder with Brenda Hafera, Senior Fellow at the Heritage...

American press freedom has never followed a straight path. The Founding Fathers envisioned newspapers as partisan political weapons, not neutral truth-tellers. This "messy" approach let citizens decide truth for themselves rather than accepting government-approved narratives.

Today's concerns about partisan media miss the point—embracing partisanship may produce healthier discourse than enforcing artificial neutrality. The real dan...