Uncommon Knowledge

The Billionaire Tax, The Busted Federal Budget, and the Future of the American Experiment

Hoover Institution economist Joshua Rauh examines America’s mounting federal debt and the political obstacles to controlling government spending. Rauh explains why higher taxes and faster economic growth alone cannot close the budget gap, warns that rising interest costs could trigger an inflationary crisis, and argues for slowing entitlement spending growth. The conversation also covers President Trump’s tariff policies, why California’s proposed billionaire tax could drive taxpayers out of the state, and lessons from states such as Texas and Florida. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

Why Churchill Still Matters: Andrew Roberts on Great Men in History

In this special, crossover edition of Secrets of Statecraft and Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, Andrew Roberts is the guest and is interviewed by Peter Robinson. Roberts explains why great individuals still shape history—and why Winston Churchill remains history’s ultimate example. Roberts also confronts attacks on Churchill’s record, explains Britain’s decision to fight Hitler in 1940, and discusses tyranny, Brexit, socialism, immigration, Donald Trump, and Britain’s future. Roberts also despairs of the decline of literacy and historical memory, and reveals both the world leaders he admires today and the source of the title of this podcast: Winston Churchill’s enduring advice: “Study history, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.” Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

The Lapsed Atheist: Charles Murray Makes the Case for God

For most of his life, Charles Murray was a casual agnostic who assumed smart people had left religion behind. Now he’s not so sure. Murray joins Peter Robinson to discuss the evidence that forced him to reconsider God, the soul, and Christianity—from near-death experiences and the mysterious Shroud of Turin to the historical reliability of the Gospels and the Resurrection. It’s the story of an empirically minded skeptic following the evidence wherever it leads—and discovering that faith may be far more reasonable than he once believed. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Make IPOs Great Again: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins on Ending Regulation by Enforcement

"America was an investment before it was a nation." That idea anchors this conversation between SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and Peter Robinson. Atkins argues that vibrant capital markets are essential to American prosperity and explains why he believes excessive regulation has discouraged companies from going public and innovators from building in the United States. The discussion also covers crypto, disclosure rules, investor protection, and the role of free markets in driving economic growth. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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The Declaration of Independence and the Fight For America’s Future with Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson—fifth-generation rancher in California’s San Joaquin Valley, classicist, military historian, Hoover Institution senior fellow, and author of more than two dozen books, including The Case For Trump, The Second World Wars, and The Dying Citizen—joins Peter Robinson to discuss the American founding and its critics. Drawing on ancient Greece and Rome, Magna Carta, the French Revolution, the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson’s administrative state, and the Trump era, Hanson argues that the genius of the American system lies in its difficult but durable structure: checks and balances, ordered liberty, and a Constitution built for flawed human beings. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Frank Dikötter and the True History of Communist China

Renowned historian and Hoover Institution senior fellow Frank Dikötter discusses his new book, Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity. Drawing from tightly controlled Chinese Communist Party archives and Soviet Comintern documents, Dikötter systematically dismantles decades of romanticized Western myths—originally popularized by journalist Edgar Snow—surrounding the rise of Mao Zedong. He details how the Chinese Communist Party was a deeply unpopular, marginal movement that was parameterized and heavily armed by Joseph Stalin rather than gaining organic peasant support, eventually taking the country through the devastation of civil war and the Red Army's strategic handover of Manchuria. Shifting to modern-day geopolitics, the conversation explores how this "enforced amnesia" shapes the systemic constraints of China's current single-party state, analyzing the vulnerabilities behind its economic facade, Xi Jinping's relentless military purges, the critical importance of arming Taiwan, and why the West must counter a regime built on deep-seated political paranoia. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Five More Questions With Stephen Kotkin: Can America Still Lead The World?

Stephen Kotkin returns to Uncommon Knowledge for another round of five questions, this time on Iran, China, Ukraine, and the future of the American republic. Kotkin argues that America still possesses unmatched strengths — economic, technological, military, and cultural — but warns that self-inflicted political dysfunction could squander them. Kotkin dissects Trump’s Iran strategy, explains why China wants Taiwan “for free,” argues that Ukraine has already won the sovereignty war against Russia, and delivers a powerful defense of America’s founding ideals at a moment when both authoritarian regimes abroad and political extremism at home are testing them. Sharp, provocative, and deeply informed, this is classic Kotkin: history as a guide to the geopolitical storms of the present. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Palmer Luckey Wants America to Win | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Why is America struggling to keep pace with China? Can Silicon Valley help rebuild US military power? And what happens when artificial intelligence transforms warfare? Anduril founder Palmer Luckey joins Peter Robinson to argue that America must rethink everything from defense procurement to manufacturing, innovation, and national identity itself. Luckey explains why he founded Anduril Industries after selling Oculus to Facebook, why he believes the US has become dangerously dependent on China, and how autonomous weapons, AI fighter jets, and drone warfare are reshaping the future battlefield. Luckey also takes aim at Pentagon bureaucracy, Silicon Valley globalism, America’s hollowed-out industrial base, and what he calls the “national divorce” between tech and national security. It’s a provocative discussion about patriotism, innovation, deterrence, and whether the United States still has what it takes to defend itself in a rapidly changing world. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Governor Ron DeSantis and The Free State of Florida | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joins Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee to explain how Florida transformed from a razor-thin swing state into one of the fastest-growing and most politically distinct states in the country. DeSantis outlines his governing philosophy—pairing conservative policy with a focus on competence—and details the results: rapid population growth, rising revenues without an income tax, debt reduction, and a dramatic political realignment. He reflects on controversial decisions during COVID, his approach to education reform and school choice, and high-profile battles with corporations, universities, and cultural institutions. The discussion also explores broader themes, including the decline of identity politics, the future of the Republican Party, and the enduring relevance of America’s founding principles. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Stephen Meyer, John Lennox, and James Tour: Three Scientists on the Origins of Everything | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Peter Robinson sits down with mathematician John Lennox, philosopher of science Stephen Meyer, and chemist James Tour to examine what modern science really suggests about the origin of the universe and life itself. Moving from the Big Bang and the discovery of cosmic beginnings, to the fine-tuning of the physical constants that make life possible, to the extraordinary complexity and information embedded in DNA, the conversation explores whether these developments point to blind, undirected processes—or to the activity of an intelligent mind. The trio challenges long-held materialist assumptions, revisits classic scientific debates, and reflects on what these questions mean not only for science but also for our understanding of human existence and purpose. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Ben Shapiro and The Battle For The Soul of Conservatism | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Is conservatism losing its way? Ben Shapiro says yes—and explains why. In this candid interview, Shapiro takes aim at conspiracy culture, fractures inside the right, and the growing distrust of institutions reshaping American politics. From college campuses to foreign policy to the future of media, this is a blunt assessment of where the movement stands—and where it could be headed next. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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How Israel Fights: Inside the Mossad with Zohar Palti | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Peter Robinson is joined by Zohar Palti — Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and former head of the Intelligence Directorate in Israel’s Mossad— for a rare, inside account of how Israel thinks about war, deterrence, and survival. From the shock of October 7 to the current campaign against Iran, Palti explains why Israel sees both nuclear capability and ballistic missiles as existential threats—and why waiting is not an option. The conversation explores the logic of preemptive war, the limits of intelligence when it comes to predicting regime change, and the realities of fighting a modern conflict—from missile defense and drone warfare to the vulnerability of global energy routes. Palti also reflects on Israel’s internal challenges, the resilience of its people under constant attack, and the enduring partnership with the United States. A candid, strategic, and deeply personal look at how one of America’s closest allies fights—and why it believes it must. Recorded on March 11, 2026. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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“They’re Not Like Us”: Michael McFaul on Autocrats vs. Democrats and the Fight for the Twenty-First Century | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul returns to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to discuss his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder. McFaul explains why Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and today’s autocratic leaders fundamentally do not think like we do—and why that misunderstanding has shaped some of America’s most consequential foreign-policy mistakes. Drawing on decades of scholarship and firsthand experience inside the Kremlin, McFaul traces Russia’s post–Cold War slide back into autocracy; challenges the claim that NATO expansion caused the rupture with Moscow; and argues that the true threat to authoritarian regimes is democratic example rather than Western military power. He examines the war in Ukraine, its implications for Taiwan, the limits of transactional diplomacy with ideologues like Putin, and the enduring lessons of Cold War statecraft. He also reflects on his unlikely journey from Butte, Montana, to Spaso House —the Moscow home of the U.S. ambassador to Russia— and why he remains convinced that democracy, however fragile, is still the West’s greatest strategic advantage. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Basketball in the Last 60 Seconds: Ben Sasse on Mortality, Meaning, and the Future of America | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

In December 2025, former US Senator Ben Sasse announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That’s the primary topic for this far-reaching conversation about mortality, faith, and what truly matters when time is short. Sasse reflects on “redeeming the time”—holding ambition lightly, loving family more deliberately, and resisting the urge to make politics or professional success the center of life. The discussion also covers Sasse’s thoughts on the failures of Congress; the dangers of a fragmented, attention-starved republic; the crisis of higher education; and the moral challenges of technological abundance. Sasse speaks candidly and movingly about regret, forgiveness, prayer, and suffering—arguing that while death is a real enemy, it does not get the final word. Recorded on February 9, 2026. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Thomas Sowell on School Choice and the Price Our Children Pay for Bad Ideas | Peter Robinson | Thomas Sowell | Hoover Institution

Thomas Sowell delivers a sweeping critique of American education, affirmative action, and modern universities, drawing on his own life story—from Harlem classrooms to Ivy League institutions—decades of research, and hard data. Sowell argues that ideology has replaced knowledge and that well-intentioned policies often harm the very people they are meant to help. He explores intersecting issues of race, charter schools, universities, AI, and the future of American institutions—with his usual clarity, candor, and unmistakable intellectual force. Recorded on September 30, 2025. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Why Does 2 + 2 = 4? What Math Teaches Us About Deep Reality | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Is math something humans invent—or something we discover? And why does it describe the universe so uncannily well? In this episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter Robinson sits down with mathematicians David Berlinski, Sergiu Klainerman, and Stephen Meyer to explore one of the deepest mysteries in science and philosophy: the reality of mathematics. From the simple certainty that 2 + 2 = 4 to the mind-bending mathematics behind black holes and quantum physics, the conversation asks why abstract numbers—created in the human mind—map so perfectly onto the physical world. Is mathematics purely logical, or does it point to a deeper structure of reality that isn’t material at all? Along the way, the panel explores beauty in science, the “unreasonable effectiveness” of math, and whether the concept of materialism can really explain the world we live in. This wide-ranging discussion blends mathematics, physics, philosophy, and metaphysics into a fascinating conversation about truth, beauty, and the nature of reality itself. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Russian Soul, American Life: A Conversation with Ignat Solzhenitsyn | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Pianist and conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn reflects on growing up in exile as the son of Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, moving from Soviet persecution to a quiet childhood in rural Vermont. Ignat recounts how music, faith, and Russian culture sustained his family far from home, how cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich helped set him on a musical path, and what it meant to carry a historic name while forging his own life between Russia and America. The conversation ranges from the moral legacy of his father’s The Gulag Archipelago to the emotional power of Russian music, the meaning of freedom, and the enduring truth that the line between good and evil runs through every human heart. It’s a deeply personal conversation on memory, exile, and the choices that shape a life. The episode concludes with Ignat at the piano performing a section from Bach’s Cantata No. 208, Sheep May Safely Graze. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Teaching Gorbachev Capitalism: Jerome Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Michael Boskin Discuss George Shultz, the Economist | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

For the second edition of the George P. Shultz Memorial Lecture Series, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice, and Hoover Senior Fellow Michael Boskin assemble for a wide-ranging conversation on the economic mind and legacy of George P. Shultz. From his early career as a labor economist at MIT and the University of Chicago to his battles in the White House cabinet over wage and price controls, the closing of the gold window, and inflation that defined the Nixon and Reagan eras, Shultz emerges as a rare figure who fused intellectual rigor with political pragmatism. The panel explores how his beliefs in free markets, personal integrity, and “trust as the coin of the realm” shaped his actions, from collective bargaining and desegregation to global diplomacy—right up to his famous economic tutorials for Mikhail Gorbachev in the Kremlin. This is a timely look at how one man’s economic philosophy helped steer American policy for half a century. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Why the Cold War Still Matters with John Lewis Gaddis | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Peter Robinson sits down at Yale University with the “dean of Cold War historians,” John Lewis Gaddis—Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer of Long Telegram author George F. Kennan and one of America’s most influential thinkers on grand strategy. From the origins of the Cold War to the nuclear age, from Vietnam to détente, and from Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev, Gaddis offers a masterclass in how nations think, plan, and learn from history. Gaddis explains why students today often have little grasp of the Cold War, how the atomic bomb reshaped global politics, why George Kennan predicted the Soviet collapse decades before it happened, and why détente faltered in the 1970s. He revisits the debates around Vietnam, assesses Ronald Reagan’s strategic instincts, and reflects on how the Cold War ultimately ended. The discussion then turns forward: the future of American grand strategy, the challenges posed by China and Russia today, the tension between promoting democracy and maintaining global stability, and why understanding the past is essential for navigating the 21st century. Along the way, Gaddis shares stories of teaching grand strategy, the influence of the classics, his unexpected path from small-town Texas to Yale, and why he remains optimistic about the humanities—and about America. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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Listening to the Law: How Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Does Her Job | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

How does the Supreme Court really work—and how does one of its youngest justices balance life, law, and seven children? In this in-depth conversation, Justice Amy Coney Barrett discusses her new book, Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and the Constitution. Barrett explains the principles behind originalism, the Court’s reasoning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and how the Court reached a decision in landmark cases like Casa de Maryland v. United States and handled a debate over the major questions doctrine. Barrett also opens up about her clerkship with Justice Antonin Scalia, how the Court builds consensus, why stare decisis matters, and how her faith and family life shape her character—but not her judicial reasoning. With the discussion ranging from the Warren Court to the Roberts Court, from Roe v. Wade to Dobbs, this is a very candid and illuminating conversation with a sitting Supreme Court justice. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

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