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David Runciman

The History of Ideas Podcast
with David Runciman

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A bi-weekly podcast exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, science to fiction.

Latest episode

American Elections Special: The 2026 Midterms in Historical Context

8 November 2026

00:00 / 01:04

Today’s episode is a conversation with the American historian Gary Gerstle about this week’s US midterm elections to explore whether we have reached another turning point in American history. How do the results of these elections compare to previous midterm repudiations of sitting presidents? Was this a victory for an earlier version of populism, a new version of socialism or for something else? How is Trump likely to react to his humiliation? And can elections like this really alter the forces at work in our world?

Out now on PPF+: a bonus episode to accompany our series on the crisis facing universities in which David talks to historian Edward Acton about ‘Climategate’, the astonishing 2009 controversy that engulfed the university – UEA – he was leading at the time. How did this firestorm serve as a harbinger of things to come? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening – and to help support everything we do – subscribe to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus our free online courses and full lists of all episodes including PPF+ bonus episodes – on our website https://www.ppfideas.com

Next Time in Can Universities Survive? The Present Crisis w/Sam Freedman

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5 million downloads

More episodes

Can Universities Survive? AI vs Higher Education

4 November 2026

00:00 / 01:04

Can Universities Survive? Politics and the International University w/Lea Ypi

1 November 2026

00:00 / 01:04

Can Universities Survive? The Great Expansion Part 2

28 October 2026

00:00 / 01:04

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