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The Zeitgeist

American-German Institute

Building a Smarter German-American Partnership

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24 episodes
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Avg 33 min
English

Episodes 24

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Yesterday · 42 min
Episode 156: State Election Aftershocks
Regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Berlin saw successes for the far-right Alternative for Germany and far-left Die Linke and “disaster” for the mainstream parties. The episode of The Zeitgeist …
September 17 · 24 min
Episode 155: The Transatlantic Investment Relationship
Investment is the backbone of transatlantic trade, but foreign direct investment between the United States and Germany has fallen in both directions in the past year. The German Economic Institute’s …
August 26 · 43 min
Episode 154: Germany’s Autumn: The Regional and International Constraints on National Politics
Approval ratings for Chancellor Merz and his government are at historic lows, the war in Ukraine is in its fifth year, and instability abroad has led to economic challenges at …
August 13 · 39 min
Episode 153: The Greens’ Next Steps
Germany’s Green Party is no longer part of the federal government and is seeking a comeback. How can the party mobilize the electorate and counter growing fragmentation and extremism in …
July 29 · 32 min
Episode 152: How to Win a Trade War
The global economic landscape is contested between China and the United States, with America’s partners such as Europe also playing important roles. China has pursued policies of one-way dependencies, and …
July 15 · 31 min
Episode 151: Soccer and Society
The 2026 World Cup has been bigger than ever before; an expanded tournament of forty-eight teams has brought record-breaking audiences. On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Andrei Markovits discusses soccer …
June 30 · 38 min
Episode 150: Valuing Civil Society Organizations
Civil society organizations are funded differently in the United States and Germany, and LGBTQ+ organizations must take different approaches when seeking financial support from the public and private sector. Preston …
June 17 · 40 min
Episode 149: Forgotten LGBTQ+ Histories
The Stonewall Riots are known worldwide as a starting point for LGBTQ+ activism, and musicals like Cabaret have shared the story of the queer experience in Weimar Berlin. But the …
June 3 · 34 min
Episode 148: Weaponized Interdependence in a Changing International System
The United States has exploited strategic networks and dependencies to its advantage in foreign policy. As the international system has transformed, more countries seek to play at the game of …
May 20 · 34 min
Episode 147: Merkel, Leadership, and Crisis
Why are some women leaders hailed as brilliant crisis managers while others draw widespread criticism? Louise K. Davidson-Schmich’s new book Gender, Leadership, and Crisis: Possibilities and Perils for Women Leaders (Oxford University Press, …
May 6 · 26 min
Episode 146: European Manufacturing and Global Trade
German industry is facing headwinds: a sluggish domestic economy, instability in the transatlantic trade relationship, and unfair global trade practices. Bertram Kawlath, the president of Europe’s largest industrial association (VDMA), joins The Zeitgeist to assess trends in the global …
April 29 · 35 min
Episode 145: Transatlantic Fractures and the Future of U.S. Relations with Europe
The United States is reevaluating its place in the world, not only because of President Trump. The metamorphosis in American politics is affecting U.S. foreign policy profoundly, as well as …
April 9 · 34 min
Episode 144: Economic Resilience as Economic Security
The world’s leading economies are putting economic security at the top of their policy concerns. Among them, the European Union is taking a risk-based approach that seeks to deter weaponizable …
March 25 · 35 min
Episode 143: Germany’s Political Barometer
Two state elections in western Germany this month resulted in one win for Chancellor Merz’s Christian Democrats and two poor outcomes for the Social Democrats. The Alternative for Germany, meanwhile, performed better …
March 11 · 36 min
Episode 142: The AfD and the 2026 State Elections
Five state elections will be held in Germany in 2026. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) enters this “super election year” in a strong position: it is the largest opposition party …
February 25 · 31 min
Episode 141: Germany’s Other Populist Party
The BSW (formerly the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, now Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason) had early successes after its founding in 2024, winning seats in the European Parliament and …
January 28 · 31 min
Episode 140: The Transatlantic Relationship in a Transforming Global Trading System
How have increased geopolitical competition and changing trade policy objectives affected the transatlantic relationship, and what are the shared priorities for German and U.S. business? On this episode of The Zeitgeist, CEO of DHL …
January 14 · 35 min
Episode 139: The German-Polish Relationship amid Changing European Security Challenges
The European security landscape is shifting. The United States is pressuring Europe to manage the defense of its region, and many NATO allies have growing doubts about the long-term reliability …
Dec 17, 2025 · 31 min
Episode 138: The Trump Administration, the AfD, and German Foreign Policy
Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been known for its foreign policy embrace of Russia and China, but in recent months, the party has turned its sights on building ties …
Dec 4, 2025 · 35 min
Episode 137: Friedrich Merz: Foreign Policy Chancellor
Chancellor Merz has received praise internationally for many German foreign policy and defense initiatives in 2025: suspending the “debt brake” to allow for more security investments, expanding the Bundeswehr, committing …

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