Politics on the Couch

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 hypocrisy first emerged as part of an evolutionary status game; How calling others out can be more powerful than proclaiming our own virtue; Why we might tolerate some ‘polite’ hypocrisy at home but not in Westminster;How hypocrisy is an inescapable part of any ‘civilisation, according to Sigmund Freud;Should we be more discerning in the types we call out, but much tougher on the ‘double standards’ hypocrisy that corrodes trust, fairness and the basic promise that citizens stand equal before the law?Dr Michael Hallsworth is Chief Behavioural Scientist at the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) in the Americas, where he applies behavioural science to policy, organisational design and real‑world behavioural change. He describes himself as someone “helping people apply behavioural science to real‑world problems.” At BIT, Michael has led numerous projects spanning government and private sector domains, bridging rigorous academic research with operational behavioural insight. More information about Dr Michael Hallsworth and his new book:https://www.michaelhallsworth.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, about how our ancient group instincts collide with 'god-like' digital technology to distort what we see, reward outrage, and erode trust in democratic institutions. Drawing on datasets of millions of social media posts, Professor Van Bavel discusses how; a tiny minority can dominate the online political conversation; platforms can make people seem more extreme, and silence the moderate voices. He also discusses what can be done about it; from redesigning incentives and rebuilding solidarity across group lines; to the small, practical choices individuals can make to resist the pull of performative moral outrage.Jay Van Bavel's professional website - with links to academic papershttps://www.jayvanbavel.comInside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of normshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X24001313How to strengthen democracyhttps://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/08/how-to-strengthen-democracyHeineken Adverthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3a8MdloAAM&themeRefresh=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 or immigrants, revealing why she believes attitudes aren’t always as fixed or hostile as they may seem.From the media’s obsession with “small boats” to conflicting anxieties about national identity, Rafael and Tessa discuss how easy is it to move public opinion, and so public policy, on a topic that has dominated political debate in the UK, EU and US for almost a decade.Links to topics mentioned in the podcast How an authoritarianism-compatible text changes British attitudes towards EU immigration Study from Cambridge University Political Psychology Lab2019 YouGov survey looking at EU immigration2024 US survey pre-Presidential electionCambridge University Political Psychology LabPodcasts mentionedRafael Behr and Karen Stennerhttps://shows.acast.com/politicsonthecouch/episodes/theauthoritatianpersonalitywithkarenstennerRafael Behr and Dr Lee de-Withttps://shows.acast.com/politicsonthecouch/episodes/theleftstroublewithconnectingwithsocialonservatives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 this new Demos paper released today (2 July) that sets out the challenges of the global democratic emergency, how this is threatening the political landscape in Britain and what we can do about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 gullible.Instead, Petersen suggest that many of these individuals are politically savvy and highly motivated, not by truth, but by the usefulness of information in advancing their political goals.The conversation also explores the concept of the "need for chaos": a psychological drive found in a significant minority who actively seek to destabilise political systems, not just support one side over another.Petersen also talks how status anxiety, feeling stuck or left behind in a rigid social hierarchy, fuels this destructive impulse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and whether that makes 'Maga-populism' less contagious.LinksDavid Aaronovitch's substack - https://davidaaronovitch.substack.comBBC's Briefing Room presented by David Aaronovitch - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002bj77This is a Behr and Berman podcast production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Couch episodes discussed in this podcastAnti-vaxxers – fear, anxiety and the psychology of misinformation The authoritarian personality - why some voters feel drawn to populism and how to lure them away The Madness of King Don - a journey to the dark side of charisma, with Drew Westen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the ingredients of dogmatic thinking, why some of us are more prone than others, and how we can protect ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 maintain their voter coalitions.Questions also covered:What drives support for Reform UK, and how vulnerable is their voter base?Are the Liberal Democrats benefiting from tactical voting, and can they sustain their recent gains?Why the Conservative Party faces so many difficulties in defining its identity?How are changing media consumption habits and voter expectations reshaping political engagement?The discussion also touches on the impact of non-voters and the potential for electoral reform to become a more prominent issue.This is a Rafael Behr and Philip Berman production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Government and an Ark Schools adviser. He writes about policy and politics for numerous outlets, including the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. With his father, he runs ‘Comment is Freed’, Britain’s most popular politics Substack. He has spent his career working in different policy-focused roles around Westminster, including as an adviser to the then opposition leader, David Cameron, and as a senior policy adviser at the Department for Education for three years, working with (friends of the podcast) Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. Feedspot has chosen Politics on the Couch as one of the Top 25 UK Psychology and Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Nobel Peace Prize winner being installed as head a new interim government. In this edition, we're talking about the violent and momentous events in Bangladesh with award-winning British-born investigative journalist David Bergman, who has been following and reporting on the country for almost 30 years. He's written widely about Bangladesh for The Daily Telegraph, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, and The Times. Between 2004 and 2017, he lived in Bangladesh, writing for several Bangladeshi newspapers, including New Age, The Daily Star and bdnews24.com.He was forced to leave in 2017 due to his critical writing about government corruption and human rights violations.Since then, he’s lived in London and helped found Netra News, a media platform based in Sweden that published investigative news and analysis on BangladeshHe’s also won a Royal Television Society award for a documentary he worked on about the atrocities that took place during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence. In the episode, David explains what happened there, what sparked it off, what’s next for the country, what we know about the next potential leader and the fascinating links between a new Labour Minister and the now deposed Bangladeshi PM and her party.Links mentioned in the podcasthttps://x.com/TheDavidBergmanhttps://x.com/muktadirnewagehttps://x.com/nomhossainhttps://x.com/taqbirhudahttps://www.facebook.com/shafiqul.alam.71216 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 some people can't adapt, why others want to believe that Keir Starmer can deliver the change he has promised and whether they are right.Links to stuff mentioned in the podcastMore in Common reportTony Judt's essayReform came 2nd in 89 of the seats that Labour won.Lowest voter turnout for a General Election since universal suffrage beganThis is a Raf Behr and Larchmont Productions podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World'Professor Raihani has unique insight into a problem that has appeared in various forms on this podcast over the years.It's a question of collective action, solidarity, and cooperation. What motivates people to form units of political organisation or cooperation?Tribes, parties, whole nations—what holds them together and what drives them apart? Why do some societies tend to be democratic and some go despotic? Is it an accident of history? Climate? Culture? Religion? Evolution. This is the fabric of politics, the very stuff societies are made of at the most fundamental level, and Professor Rehani shines an evolutionary light on it all.This podcast is produced by Philip Berman of Larchmont Productions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 geopolitics, liberal politics, Israel and Jewish identity.Events featuring Rafael BehrShoreham, West Sussex, Wed 24 AprilAn evening with Guardian columnist Rafael Behr and television producer Rob Burley in conversation with Ayesha Hazarika MBE, political commentator and broadcaster, and former special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband.More detailsCentral London, Thursday 25th AprilWhat Everyone Knows About Britain* Except The British: Michael Peel in conversation with Rafael BehrMore detailsJ Freeland linksAward-winning edition of Unholy podcast The latest edition of the Guardian's weekly US politics podcastJonathan Freeland and Israeli author Amos OzNew York Times columnist Thomas Friedman  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, among others, to the Mercury Prize.More recently he launched the Broken Record campaign, calling for a fairer deal for musicians from streaming services, among other industry reforms.And now, having banged on the doors to demand political change from the outside, Tom wants to get on the inside.He's on the shortlist to be selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituencyThat's the only seat in the country with a green MP right now, Caroline Lucas, although she's standing down at the next election.Raf asks Tom what makes someone want to swap what looks like the perfect job, recording and performing music for eager fans, for the grim, and potentially thankless life of a politician where I think it's safe to say the audiences are less than adoring.https://twitter.com/MrTomGrayhttps://twitter.com/TG4Pavilion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for Politics on the Couch.And this podcast is the end result, instead of a meta-cast talking about what we could talk about this Autumn, it's more of a casual ramble around Phil's break from Twitter, his despair about the state of political discourse and Raf's one-stop solution for all.Topics covered (in no order of importance):TwitterLaurence FoxGB NewsSunak's postion on net zeroThe mood in WestminsterState captureDemocratic back-slidingThe preface to the paperback version of Rafael's new book.https://rafaelbehr.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 discuss:Was there really a re-alignment in British politics post-Brexit?What do the Nat Cons have to offer us Brits apart from hardline anti-immigration vibes?Why do some parts of the commentariat spend so much time talking about 'culture wars' when there are so many other issues to cover?If, as expected, the next government is Labour and inherits an economic mess, will it be possible for them to make all the necessary hard decisions about taxation and spending, and stay in power?David Aaronvitch's substack - https://davidaaronovitch.substack.comPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as both one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts and Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 relationships with politicians to find out what's really happening in the corridors of power.But does a journalist's 'insider status' cloud their judgement when working out how to write about political stories or policy ssues, or whether to cover them at all?Does it inevitably become a trade-off between, a steady stream of 'exclusives', and a fair and objective approach to reporting?If so, what does this mean for democracy?Rob Hutton is an author and freelance journalist. He spent 16 years covering the British government for Bloomberg, taking in five prime ministers, as many elections, and the odd referendum. Before that, he worked for the Mirror and the Financial Times. He now has a regular spot as sketchwriter for The Critic. His career has been a mix of seriousness and satire. While he was a reporter for Bloomberg, unquestionably The Global News Organisation Least Likely To Tell A Joke, he wrote Romps, Tots & Boffins, a satirical book about the words only journalists use. He followed that up with Would They Lie to You?, about the way politicians got around reality without actually uttering untruths (it was a more innocent age). According to Rob, his most recent book, Agent Jack, doesn’t have quite so many laughs, although he says there’s an incident with a jar of marmalade and a blueprint for a Vickers tank. 'Oh, and there’s a naked German in a wardrobe.' Here's a link to his Podcast - A Pod Too FarRafael Behr's first book was released in May, 2023**'Politics, A Survivor’s Guide,'** is all about the infuriating toxicity of politics, how it got that way and how to resist the slide into cynicism and pessimism that are so corrosive of democracy. It’s about the challenge of staying engaged without getting enraged; the need to empathise with people whose views we cannot share and how that is different to appeasement of politics we believe to be dangerous.Available from Waterstones:https://www.waterstones.com/book/politics-a-survivors-guide/rafael-behr/9781838955045Or, for those who are interested in signed copies, from City Books in Hove:https://www.city-books.co.ukPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as both one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts and Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. He was made Fellow of the British Academy in 2018, among the youngest fellows at that time. His work has been widely covered in the media, including in the World Bank's World Development Report, The New York Times, The Economist, The Times and on BBC Radio 4's 'Start the Week'. He was the Principal Investigator of the multi-million-pound ERC project 'The Politics of Wealth Inequality', is co-editor of the most-cited journal in comparative politics, and has written three award-winning academic books. Why Politics Fail is his latest book and his first for a wider audience.Link to buy Ben's new bookhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/284663/ben-ansellLink to Ben's substackhttps://benansell.substack.comRafael Behr's first book was released Thursday 4 May, 2023**'Politics, A Survivor’s Guide,'** is all about the infuriating toxicity of politics, how it got that way and how to resist the slide into cynicism and pessimism that are so corrosive of democracy. It’s about the challenge of staying engaged without getting enraged; the need to empathise with people whose views we cannot share and how that is different to appeasement of politics we believe to be dangerous.Available from Waterstones:https://www.waterstones.com/book/politics-a-survivors-guide/rafael-behr/9781838955045Or, for those who are interested in signed copies, from City Books in Hove:https://www.city-books.co.ukPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as both one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts, and Top 25 Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 covers psychology, neuroscience & mental health.She is also the Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex.Her latest book, 'The Keys to Kindness,' looks at what constitutes kindness, effective strategies to build more of it into our lives and the benefits of being kind.She draws on the latest research from psychology and neuroscience, and her work in collaboration with the University of Sussex and the BBC, including the largest global survey ever undertaken into attitudes to kindness.Linkshttps://claudiahammond.com/the-keys-to-kindnesshttps://claudiahammond.com/the-kindness-testhttps://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/kindness/indexhttps://www.sussex.ac.uk/schools/psychologyRafael Behr's first book is released today - Thursday 4 May, 2023'Politics, A Survivor’s Guide,' is all about the infuriating toxicity of politics, how it got that way and how to resist the slide into cynicism and pessimism that are so corrosive of democracy. It’s about the challenge of staying engaged without getting enraged; the need to empathise with people whose views we cannot share and how that is different to appeasement of politics we believe to be dangerous.The themes include migration, nationalism, family, identity, culture wars, technology, ideology, Europe, Brexit and a little bit of cardiology.Available from Waterstones:https://www.waterstones.com/book/politics-a-survivors-guide/rafael-behr/9781838955045Or, for those who are interested in signed copies, from City Books in Hove:https://www.city-books.co.ukRaf will be speaking at literary festivals, theatres, pubs all around the UK. Often he will be in conversation with fellow journalists and authors, hopefully also in conversation with you in the audience. Below is a list of places and times. Click on date for tickets. There may be more to come...10 May Brighton Festival17 May Bath Festival21 May Aye Write, Glasgow Book Festival23 May 1000 Trades, Birmingham25 May Hay Festival7 June The Elephant and Castle Pub, Lewes (no link yet)12 June Guardian Live, Kings Cross, LondonPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as both one of the Top 25 UK Psychology, and Political Science podcasts.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this wide-ranging and informal conversation*, Rafael Behr chats to former colleague Helen Lewis about whether Whatsapp has changed the way politics is conducted, her favourite Tik Tok channel, the incestous nature of Scottish politics, what's really behind the UK government's immigration policy, what we can learn from Florida culture wars, why the middle ground is so hard to occupy, what we have learnt from the pandemic, and Helen's take on why so many men love listening to other men on podcasts, plus much more. *unstructuredHelen LewisHelen writes about the intersection of politics, society, and digital culture for The Atlantic.Link to Helen’s long read on DeSantis, Trump and the future of American politicsfor The AtlanticShe is also the host of the BBC’s long-form interview series, The Spark. Her next book, The Selfish Genius, is scheduled for publication in 2023. Link to ‘The Bluestocking,’ Helen’s substack page. Rafael Behr has a book out very soon about politics If you're interested here's a link to pre-order:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Politics-Survivors-Engaged-without-Getting/dp/1838955046/Now on with the podcast show we call Politics on the Couch.This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit and co-author, along with Research Fellow Lisa James, of a new book called: The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit, a detailed account of the extraordinary way the Brexit process played out in parliament.Since the 2016 referendum, the hotly contested issue of Brexit has raised fundamental questions about the workings of British democracy. Nowhere was this more true than regarding the role of parliament. This book addresses important questions about parliament's role in the UK constitution, and the impact on this of the Brexit process. While initially intended to re-establish 'parliamentary sovereignty', Brexit wrought significant damage on the reputation of parliament, and the wider culture of UK democracy.This book is published as part of the ‘Brexit, Parliament and the Constitution’ project, funded through Constitution Unit Director Meg Russell's Senior Fellowship with the ESRC-funded UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE) programme.For more about the book (and a 30% discount code) see this link:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/parliamentary-battle-over-brexit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr talks to Prof. Tim Bale about why people join political parties and how the members impact democracy.Topics covered inlcude:what people get from joining a political party;what parties get from their members;why membership of parties has declined;in particular why so many Conservative women joined, and then left in their droves;how membership differs between the two major parties;how the role of members has changed; andmembers impact on the democratic health of the nationTim Bale is Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London. He's the author of several books on British and European party politics, including, Footsoldiers: Political Party Membership in the 21st Century, the research for which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and generated the website http://esrcpartymembersproject.org. His most recent book, The Conservative Party after Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation is out on 30 March 2023. Tim's also a frequent contributor to broadcast and print media in the UK and abroad. This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the first bilateral summit between the two countries' leaders for five years, Rafael Behr talks to Georgina Wright, from the Institut Montaigne in Paris, about what the French really think about us Brits, and what we often get wrong about French discourse, customs and political culture. Quite a lot, as it happens.Georgina Wright is Senior Fellow and Director of Institut Montaigne’s Europe Program. She is also a Visiting Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, associate of the Institute for Government in London and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey.Before joining Institut Montaigne, she was senior researcher at the Institute for Government (2019-2020) and research associate at Chatham House (2014-2018). She has also worked for the European Commission and NATO in Brussels.Georgina regularly represents Institut Montaigne on national and international news media, and has written widely for foreign policy outlets. She studied at the University of Edinburgh and the College of Europe (Bruges).https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/experts/georgina-wrightThis podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition, Rafael Behr talks to England's most prodigious political screenwriter and playwright - James Graham.He's probably most well known for writing the recent BBC1 hit drama 'Sherwood', which aired on BBC One in 2022 to rave reviews, and will return for a second series.James also wrote Quiz (ITV) in 2020, which was one of the most watched UK television dramas of the year; and Brexit: An Uncivil War, which garnered huge public attention and critical acclaim in 2019. It was broadcast on Channel 4 and HBO, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie, and a BAFTA for Single Drama.In this episode James talks to Rafael about how narratives are fundamental to political storytelling, what they are, why recently parties on the right seem to have been better at them, where James draws his inspiration for writing from, and what his next play is about.More about JamesFor theatre, James’s play Best of Enemies, about the political debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr., opened at the Young Vic in 2021, and is currently playing on the West End. It has been nominated for an Olivier for Best New Play, and won a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award.His new musical, Tammy Faye, with music from Elton John and lyrics from Jake Shears, opened at the Almeida in 2022.Ink - about the early days of Rupert Murdoch - opened to huge praise at the Almeida before transferring to the West End in September 2017, where it played in the theatre next door to James’ other new play – political romantic comedy Labour of Love - creating theatre history.James's breakout play This House premiered at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in September 2012 and transferred to the Olivier in 2013 where it enjoyed a sell-out run. It garnered critical acclaim and a huge amount of interest and admiration from current and former MPs for his rendition of life in the House of Commons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr talks to Fuschia Sirois, Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University, and co-Editor-in-Chief at the British Journal Of Health Psychology, about procrastination.In this free-flowing conversation, Fuschia and Rafael talk about what procrastination is, how it impacts politics and public policy, what we can do about it, and why Rafael may have incorrectly compared himself to Brad Pitt when he was a lot younger (Raf that is)For more on Rafael Behr, and to order his eagerly anticipated first book:https://rafaelbehr.comFuschia Sirois’ latest bookProcrastination: What It Is, Why It's a Problem, and What You Can Do About ItSome of her other recent publicationsBiskas, M. Sirois, F. M., & Webb, T. L. (2022). Using social cognition models to understand why people, such as perfectionists, struggle to respond with self-compassion. British Journal of Social Psychology, 61, 1160-1182. Open accessSirois, F. M., & Owens, J. (2021). A meta-analysis of loneliness and use of primary health care. Health Psychology Review. Open accessBaird, H. Webb, T. L., Sirois, F. M., & Gibson-Miller, J. (2021). Understanding the effects of time perspective: A meta-analysis testing a self-regulatory framework. Psychological Bulletin, 147 (3), 233-267. LinkSirois, F. M., & Owens, J. (2021). Factors associated with psychological distress in health-care workers during an infectious disease outbreak: A rapid systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. Open access.Neff, K., Tóth-Király, I., Yarnell, L., Arimitsu, K., Castilho, P., Ghorbani, N., Guo, H., Hirsch, J., Hupfield, J., Hutz, C. S., Kotsou, I., Lee, W. K., Montero-Marin, J., Sirois, F. M., de Souza, L., Svendsen, J., Wilkinson, L., & Mantzios, M. (2019). Examining the Self-Compassion Scale in 20 diverse samples: Support for use of a total score and six subscale scores. Psychological Assessment, 31, 27-45. LinkThis podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year on from Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, host Rafael Behr talks to Anne Applebaum about why so many US Republicans and conservatives are still seduced by Putin’s anti-West rhetoric and tropes.Anne, a Pullitzer-prize winning historian, is particularly well positioned to discuss this, and associated issues, given that her most recent book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism looked at why some of her contemporaries had abandoned liberal democratic ideals in favor of strongman cults, nationalist movements, or one-party states.Anne ApplebaumAnne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer-prize winning historian. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the Agora Institute, where she co-directs Arena, a program on disinformation and 21st century propaganda.A Washington Post columnist for fifteen years and a former member of the editorial board, she has also worked as the Foreign and Deputy Editor of the Spectator magazine in London, as the Political Editor of the Evening Standard, and as a columnist at Slate as well as the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs. From 1988-1991 she covered the collapse of communism as the Warsaw correspondent of the Economist magazine and the Independent newspaper.She has lectured at Yale, Harvard, Stanford and Columbia Universities, as well as Oxford, Cambridge, London, Heidelberg, Maastricht, Zurich, Humboldt, Texas A&M, Houston and many others. In 2012-13 she held the Phillipe Roman Chair of History and International Relations at the London School of Economics. She received honorary doctorates from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and Kyiv-Mohyla University.Anne Applebaum was born in Washington, DC in 1964. After graduating from Yale University, she was a Marshall Scholar at the LSE and St. Antony’s College, Oxford. This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode host Rafael Behr talks to Prof Anand Menon about what the latest polling on 'bregret' means for identity politics, Starmer's strategy on future EU relations, and the economic and democratic health of the UK.Anand Menon is Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London in the United Kingdom, and was appointed in January 2014 as director of the UK in a Changing Europe initiative.Prior to arriving at King's College, London, Menon lectured at Birmingham University. Previously he was Lecturer in European Politics at Oxford University for ten years and a Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford for five.BibliographyHis publications include European Politics (Oxford University Press, 2007), co-edited with Colin Hay and Europe: The State of the Union (Atlantic Books, 2008), and he has written for popular publications including the Financial Times, the London Review of Books and Prospect.[2][4]Anand was a Professor of West European Politics, and founding Director of the European Research Institute at the University of Birmingham.For more information on Professor Menon: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/anand-menonFor more information on the UK in a changing Europe https://ukandeu.ac.uk/For more on Rafael Behr, and to order his new book visit https://rafaelbehr.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex alongside other eminent roles in the field of advanced research into the nature of consciousness and perception. His bestselling book ‘Being You: A New Science of Consciousness’ is a masterpiece of making complex scientific issues accessible to the non-expert reader. Anil demonstrates that same skill in this relaxed and free-flowing discussion with Politics on the Couch host Rafael Behr. They talk about the essence of what it means to be a conscious being, whether we can ever be said to experience objective reality, whether our present self is really the same as our past self and some of the moral, philosophical and political issues provoked by those questions.For more information on Professor Seth and ‘Being You’, visit https://www.anilseth.com/Here's the perception census he mentions in the podcast: https://perceptioncensus.dreamachine.worldFor more on Rafael Behr visit https://rafaelbehr.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode host Rafael Behr talks to Dr Karen Stenner, the political psychologist & behavioral economist best known for long ago predicting the rise of Trump-like figures under the kinds of conditions we now confront. Her research on authoritarianism and 'Far Right' politics uses psychological theories and methods (in particular, Randomized Controlled Trials) to explain human behaviour.She also use those same theories and methods (particularly RCTs) to shift human behaviour via communications and campaigns (of every kind), including designing and embedding messages that de-activate authoritarianism and diminish expressions of intolerance and racism in a society.We also discuss the recent Labour victory in the Australian general election and the part that 'independent teals' played.If you'd like to find out more about Dr Stenner and work please visit her site: https://www.karenstenner.comAnd you may find her articles below of particular interest.For Hope Not Hate on how to help authoritarians live in peace with liberal democracy.https://hopenothate.org.uk/2020/11/01/authoritarianismHer recent piece with Jessica Stern for Foreign Policy on how liberal democracy must treat authoritarianism as a chronic condition to be managed.https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/11/capitol-insurrection-trump-authoritarianism-psychology-innate-fear-envy-change-diversity-populism/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to pollster and political strategist James Johnson about what's next for Labour, a matter of minutes after PM Johnson announced his resignation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Rafael Behr and Professor Helen Thompson discuss her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century.The book, which was released on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, recounts three histories—one about geopolitics, one about the world economy, and one about western democracies.She explains how a confluence of different crises, building over many years, has created the current mood of global, epoch-defining disorder.It shows how much of this turbulence originated in problems generated by fossil-fuel energies, and it explains why, as the green transition takes place, the longstanding predicaments energy invariably shapes will remain in place.In light of her new book and the war raging in Ukraine, in this edition of Politics on the Couch Rafael and Helen discuss a wide-range of ideas and issues:Topics discussed:Was the Russian invasion of Ukraine an inflection point in history and how do we know if we're living through one?Do individuals and charismatic personalities shape history or merely express longer-running trends and bigger forces?Does Johnson have any ideology? If so, what is it?Can the year we're born can shape our optimism about the future?Has the pandemic affected the way citizens view making big sacrifices for a greater good?How can strong political identities be forged from adversity?Do Western liberal democracies have the capacity to drive through the change needed to make the green transition?Is China as an authoritarian state at an advantage?What lessons has the Ukrainian war taught us about energy policy and green transition?Helen's new book: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/disorder-hard-times-in-the-21st-century/9780198864981Helen's Cambridge University page: https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/Staff_and_Students/dr-helen-thompsonPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts and Top 25 Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Human beings routinely make terrible choices but humanity still achieves amazing things.How does this paradox work?And is it still working when technology seems to amplify the worst in us.In this episode, Politics on the Couch host Rafael Behr talks to Professor Steven Pinker about the constant struggle between evidence and emotion for control of the political agenda; whether truth and fact are winning the long war against superstition and falsehood, and why rationality always has the last word.Professor Steven Pinker is Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of a number of highly acclaimed and prize-winning books about psychology, cognitive science, linguistics and history.His latest book Rationality: What it is; why it seems scarce; why it matters was published in September.https://stevenpinker.com/publications/rationality-what-it-why-it-seems-so-scarce-and-why-it-mattersMore about Steven Pinker:https://stevenpinker.com/biocvOther books by Steven Pinker mentioned in episode The Better Angels of our Nature https://stevenpinker.com/publications/better-angels-our-natureEnlightenment Now https://stevenpinker.com/publications/enlightenment-now-case-reason-science-humanism-and-progressA couple of references in this episode that might be useful as further reading.Michael Ignatieff’s book Fire and Ashes, about a failed career in politicshttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/27/michael-ignatieff-fire-ashes-reviewJonathan Rauch’s book The Constitution of Knowledge, about the crisis of trust in institutionshttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/26/the-constitution-of-knowledge-review-jonathan-rauch-trumpPolitics on the Couch has been chosen by Feedspot as one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts and Top 25 Political Science Podcasts on the web.https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Rafael Behr talks to Cambridge University political psychologist Dr Lee de-Wit about the problem with progressive arguments over patriotism, and Labour's constant struggle to connect with socially conservative voters.Links mentioned in this episode:Dr Lee de-Wit's Cambridge University homepage https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/people/lee-de-witArnold Kling's bookhttps://cdn.cato.org/libertarianismdotorg/books/ThreeLanguagesOfPolitics.pdfHaidt and Moral Foundations Theoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theoryTariq Modood's sitehttp://www.tariqmodood.comYouGov poll on immigrationhttps://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2019/09/13/what-policy-do-british-voters-want-on-eu-immigration-is-there-a-hidden-consensus/Dr Lee de-Wit's book http://eandtbooks.com/books/whats-your-bias/Dr Lee de-Wit's recent article in the Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/11/politics-left-right-tories-advantage-labourPolitics on the Couch has just been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts on the web.This is the most comprehensive list of Top 25 UK Psychology Podcasts on the internet and we're honored to have been selected!https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcastsThis podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Britain's vast colonial project, amassed over centuries and covering a quarter of the world at its height, is unavoidable in any discussion of race and identity in modern Britain."Our host Rafael Behr talks to Sathnam Sanghera about his latest book - Empireland - that delves into our imperial legacy, how it shapes our nation, our culture and defines so much of our politics to this day.Sathnam has won multiple awards for his journalism in the Financial Times and the Times. His 2009 memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award, as was his 2014 novel, Marriage Material. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Cognitive Scientist of Political Violence, Nafees Hamid, about what makes extremists tick and how to change their minds. Nafees discusses the conditions that push people towards extremist ideologies and whether a martyr's mind is wired differently to the rest of us. Along the way, Rafael and Nafees explore identity, sacred values, devoted actors, and how extremists can be walked back from acts of violence. Nafees Hamid is a Fellow at ARTIS International (https://artisinternational.org) and an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (https://icct.nl) in The Hague. His research focuses on the psychology of radicalisation and social fragmentation in Western countries. His methods include ethnographic interviews, survey studies, social network analysis, and psychology and neuroscience experiments with mostly Western members of extremist organisations, their friends and family, supporters of such networks, and the general communities from where they originate. This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Matt d'Ancona about his new book: 'Identity, Ignorance, Innovation: Why the Old Politics is Useless - and what to do about it.'https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Identity-Ignorance-Innovation-by-Matthew-DAncona-author/9781529303995They discuss why the 'liberal left' needs to adapt to a new politics that is being shaped much more by digital networks and identity politics than the older institutional forces. Matt joined The Sunday Telegraph in 1996 as deputy comment editor and columnist, before becoming deputy editor. He wrote a weekly political column in The Sunday Telegraph for a decade.He succeeded Boris Johnson as editor of The Spectator. In January 2015, d'Ancona joined The Guardian as a weekly columnist.He left the paper in 2019 to become an editor and partner at https://www.tortoisemedia.comHe also writes columns for the Evening Standard, GQ and The New York Times.He is chairman of the liberal Conservative think tank, Bright Blue, a trustee of the Science Museum and a Visiting Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to neuroscientist and author Tali Sharot about the optimism hard-wired into our thought processes, how it affects the way we look at the world – and what it means for politics. The conversation also covers the relationship between emotion and reason, how we should respect some of the more primitive parts of our brains, what messages work best to encourage people to act on climate change, and what connects sourdough and the hunt for a coronavirus vaccine.Tali Sharot is a professor at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, where she is Director of the Affective Brain Lab, and Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/research/experimental-psychology/person/dr-tali-sharot/Sheis the author of The Optimism Bias:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimism-Bias-were-wired-bright/dp/1780332637and The Influential Mind:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Influential-Mind-Reveals-Change-Others/dp/0349140634/This podcast is hosted by wwww.zencast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to author and comedian David Baddiel about his book “Jews Don't Count” – a closely argued polemic about the failure of progressive-left politics to treat antisemitism with the same moral rigour as is applied to other kinds of racism.The frank and at times raw conversation deals with the social and cultural dimensions of one of history's oldest prejudices, as well as the individual emotional and psychological components of a secular Jewish identity. They also talk a little bit about football.David Baddiel's book is published by TLS Bookshttps://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/jews-dont-count-david-baddiel-tls-books-extract/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr explores the causes of resistance to vaccine science and its links with far-right propaganda with Imran Ahmed, founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The chat ranges from the emotional vulnerabilities that lead people to take comfort from conspiracy theories to the political obligations on social media companies to help defend democracy from malevolent, weaponised lies.Along the way, Rafael and Imran touch on politics, psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, the scientific method, Hugo Boss's Nazi tailoring and some practical advice for dealing with toxic falsehood online.The two reports mentioned in the episode are Don't Feed the Trolls:https://www.counterhate.com/dont-feed-the-trollsAnd the Anti-Vaxx Playbook:https://www.counterhate.com/playbookImran also mentions Ashli Babbit who was killed in the Washington DC Capitol riot:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/09/ashli-babbitt-capitol-mob-trump-qanon-conspiracy-theoryAnd a Guardian report about the Tuskegee Study Imran discusses:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/08/guatemala-victims-us-syphilis-studyOur podcast was recently chosen by Feedspot as one of the best 15 English-speaking political science podcasts in the world. https://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcastsThis podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr answers some listeners' questions and looks ahead to the challenges facing the main political parties in 2021 as they try to navigate their way through a pandemic, levelling up, calls for Scottish independence and the reality of Brexit. Plus, reflections on the future for remainers and the prospects for a campaign to re-join the EU. Also features one book recommendation and a very extended metaphor about coral.Cultural Amnesia by Clive Jameshttps://uk.bookshop.org/books/cultural-amnesia-notes-in-the-margin-of-my-time/9780330481755This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr talks to Dr Carol Tavris about the mental obstacles that stop us from admitting that we may have made a mistake. Dr Tavris is a pre-eminent social psychologist specialising in the field of cognitive dissonance and co-author of “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)”, a seminal book on the subject that was recently updated to include a chapter on Donald Trump's support base.Carol has written articles, op-eds, and book reviews on a wide array of topics in psychological science for the TLS, Wall Street Journal, Skeptic magazine, Los Angeles Times, and many other venues.This episode was recorded just before Christmas 2020 and touches on some of the reasons why (so far) not many people have changed their minds about their support for (or opposition to) the idea of Brexit, and why the reality in 2021 is unlikely to trigger mass conversions.Links to interesting stuff mentioned in this podcasthttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/23/sarah-silverman-apologises-after-louis-ck-masturbation-commentshttps://lincolnproject.ushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Festingerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_culthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_AronsonAmazon UK link to Carol's bookMistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts (2020 edition - updated and revised)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistakes-Were-Made-but-Not/dp/1780666950/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JHS0EFOUNOK3&dchild=1&keywords=mistakes+were+made+but+not+by+me&qid=1609202077&sprefix=mistakes+were+%2Caps%2C285&sr=8-1Amazon US linkhttps://www.amazon.com/Mistakes-Were-Made-but-Third/dp/0358329612/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mistakes+were+made+but+not+by+me+third+edition&qid=1591458464&s=books&sr=1-1Our podcast was recently chosen by Feedspot as one of the best 15 English-speaking political science podcasts in the world.https://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics on the Couch host Rafael Behr talks to Professors Constantine Sedikides and Tim Wildschut of the University of Southampton, about the way people narrate the stories of their past, what they get from the process and the way political campaigns can exploit those feelings. Prof. Constantine Sedikideshttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/psychology/about/staff/cs2.pageProf Tim Wildschuthttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/psychology/about/staff/timw.pageNostalgia websitehttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/nostalgia/Our podcast was recently chosen by Feedspot as one of the best 15 English-speaking political science podcasts in the world. https://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the aftermath of the US presidential election, Rafael Behr talks to Professor Drew Westen about different forms of charisma, the struggle to communicate liberal arguments to Republican voters and the symptoms of severe personality disorder exhibited by Donald Trump.Drew Westen is a professor in the Psychology and Psychiatry Department at Emory University, Atlanta Georgia. He is also a political consultant and author of the highly influential book "The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation."Our podcast was recently chosen by Feedspot as one of the best 15 English-speaking political science podcasts in the worldhttps://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, podcast host Rafael Behr turns to his old friend and New York Times columnist Ben Smith for analysis of the state of US politics a week before the biggest election in living memory, and for reassurance that, maybe, everything is gonna be alright. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr speaks to social anthropologist Emma Crewe about parliament; what makes MPs tick, the psychological mechanisms they need to function in one of the country's weirdest workplaces - and their relationship with journalists. Professor Crewe, of SOAS, University of London, is the only anthropologist to have been based inside the Palace of Westminster, having spent years embedded in both the Lords and the Commons, enjoying uniquely privileged access to the inner workings of the legislature. You can read more about her research on parliaments and other topics at her Global Research Network on People and Parliaments website: www.grnpp.org or on her personal site www.emmacrewe.comRoutledge will be publishing her latest book - 'An Anthropology of Parliaments: entanglements in democratic politics' in 2021.This podcast is hosted by https://wwww.zencast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Rafael Behr speaks to celebrated Irish author and journalist Fintan O'Toole about their shared fascination with nationalism and the myths of foreign oppression that fired a very English revolution. Also featuring digressions on the Scottish independence movement, Irish attitudes to Brexit and the Italian Job.Fintan O'Toole is a historian, critic and cultural commentator; author of many books that range across questions of culture, identity, nationhood in Ireland and Britain. He is one of Ireland's most prominent and eminent political writers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rafael Behr talks to Tim Harford, BBC Radio 4's presenter of More or Less and FT columist, about his new book: How To Make The World Add Up. Tim Harford writes the Undercover Economist column for the FT and was previously an economics leader writer for the FT. He is also the author of seven books, including the million-selling, The Undercover Economist and before that, Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy. He is also a regular presenter for BBC radio.He was made an OBE in the 2019 new year honours list “for services to improving economic understanding.Link to buy the book: www.hive.co.uk/Product/Tim-Harford/How-to-Make-the-World-Add-Up--Ten-Rules-for-Thinking-Diff/25138829) If you have a questions, comments or suggestions for Rafael about the podcast please email [email protected] If you enjoy this podcast do please like, share and review it. Phil (the producer)This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr looks ahead to a new political season that promises to be like none in recent memory and reflects on a lost summer of coronavirus denial, with some digressions on party conferences, Brexit and Cliff Richard.This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rafael Behr and Helen Lewis discuss social media's corrosive effect on politics and public discourse, and how we can all respond.Helen Lewis is a staff writer at the Atlantic, was deputy editor at the New Statesman, presents BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, and is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's News Quiz. She's written a book about the history of feminism, is ambivalent towards Twitter but likes the Sopranos and embroidery. Helen's new book - (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/16/difficult-women-history-of-feminism-11-fights-helen-lewis-review)Helen's newsletter - http://helenlewis.substack.comHelen's writing in the Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/author/helen-lewisHelen's lecture on the failure's of political journalism - https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/video/helen-lewis-failures-political-journalismThis podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.