Politics on the Couch
Larchmont Productions
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About This Podcast
Rafael Behr examines how our minds respond to politics and how politicians mess with our minds.
In each episode an expert from the world of politics, psychology, history or philosophy joins Raf on our 'couch' to discuss what's driving our political thought and behaviour.
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Recent Episodes
Hypocrisy – why we hate it and why we can’t do without it
Rafael Behr talks to behavioural scientist Dr Michael Hallsworth about his new book, “The Hypocrisy Trap: How Changing What We Criticise Can Improve Our Lives.”They discuss:How the concept of…
Can Democracy Survive Social Media?
Politics feels angrier, harsher and more tribal than it used to - but how much of the blame can be laid at the door of social media?Rafael Behr talks to NYU Psychologist Professor Jay Van Bavel,…
Changing minds about immigration
Rafael Behr talks to Dr. Tessa Buchanan, a former civil servant and now an academic at Cambridge’s Political Psychology Lab, about the psychology behind changing how some voters think about outsiders…
How to break the ‘democratic doom loop’
Rafael Behr talks to Demos' CEO Polly Curtis about the urgent case for upgrading our democracy and repairing the broken relationship between citizen and state.The conversation is loosely based around…
Appetite for Chaos: Why some voters just want to watch the world burn
Host Rafael Behr is joined by political scientist Prof. Michael Bang Petersen, whose research challenges the common belief that those who share misinformation are simply uninformed or…
'Post-Pandemic Politics' – Did Covid change everything? Did it change anything?
A conversation between Rafael Behr and writer and broadcaster David Aaronovitch, about ripples from the pandemic that still shape politics, with a digression on the ways that Britain is not America…
Five Years: Our Brains Hurt A Lot
An anniversary episode in which host Rafael Behr and producer Philip Berman look back over a tumultuous time and ponder what they have learned from putting politics on the couch.Links to Politics on…
'The Ideological Brain' – Are Some People Hard-wired for Radicalisation?
To coincide with the launch of her new book (The Ideological Brain - A Radical Science of Susceptible Minds) Rafael Behr talks to Dr Leor Zmigrod, a political psychologist and neuroscientist, about…
Red Wall, Blue Wall, Grey Area - a conversation about voter volatility with Professor Paula Surridge
Rafael Behr talks to Paula Surridge Professor of Political Sociology about the fragmentation of support for the two big parties since Brexit, what's causing it and what it means for parties trying to…
'System Fail' - a conversation with Sam Freedman about the way Britain's broken politics can suffocate even the best intentions.
Host Rafael Behr talks to author, policy expert and podcaster Sam Freedman about his new book Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix ItSam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for…
‘The gen Z revolution’ - how a student protest toppled a corrupt and violent government
In a week of protests, counter-protests and riots in the UK, 5000 miles away in Bangladesh student-led uprising led to 300 people being killed, the toppling of a corrupt PM and violent regime, and a…
Is this what hope feels like? Rafael Behr's reflections on Labour's 2024 victory
In this summer bonus episode, Raf and (producer) Phil discuss the changing mood around British politics since Labour's election victory, the restoration of seriousness after years of triviality, why…
Going Ape - a conversation about evolution, morality and political cooperation
In this edition host Rafael Behr talks to Nichola Raihani, Professor of Evolution and Behaviour in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland.She's also the author of, 'The Social…
Doom audit - a conversation with Jonathan Freedland about America, Israel, liberal angst and the unravelling West
In the wake of October 7th and Trump's bid to become US President again, Rafael Behr sits down with fellow Guardian columnist and friend - Jonathan Freedland - to discuss the current state of…
Moving the needle - Tom Gray of Gomez on swapping the recording studio for the campaign trail, and what being in a band teaches you about politics.
Rafael Behr talks to Tom Gray from Gomez about his bid to become a Brighton MP.Tom's had a hugely successful career in music with Gomez rocketing to fame in 1998, beating Pulp and Massive Attack,…
'Bonus Couch Chat'
In a departure from our normal format Rafael Behr (host) and Philip Berman (the show's producer) agreed to press record when they met yesterday (Thursday 28 September) to discuss a new series idea…
'Beyond the Red Wall'
Raf Behr talks to journalist, author and broadcaster David Aaronovitch about his recent visit to the National Conservatives conference, and what it taught him about state of the Tory party.They…
'Beyond parody' - a conversation with Rob Hutton about political journalism and its complex relationship with power
Rafael Behr talks to Rob Hutton, parliamentary sketch writer at the Critic, about the uneasy relationship between Westminster lobby journalists and MPs.Often political journalists cultivate close…
Trapped! Democracy's struggle to cope with modern life and what we can do to help – a conversation with Professor Ben Ansell.
On this edition Rafael Behr talks to Professor Ben Ansell about his new book Why Politics Fails: The Five Traps of the Modern World & How to Escape ThemBen Ansell is Professor of Comparative…
Kindness - a conversation about political empathy, its power and its limits, with Claudia Hammond
Host Rafael Behr talks to Claudia Hammond about political empathy, its power and its limits.Claudia is probably best known as the presenter of BBC Radio 4's long-running show, 'All in the Mind' which…
Frequently Asked Questions
Politics on the Couch has published 54 episodes since April 2020, covering topics in News, Politics.
Politics on the Couch is currently declining with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 54m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Politics on the Couch, including email and social media links.
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