Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking

Author: Chatham House Language: English Episodes: 100
Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Episodes
Trump vs Harris: Did the debate change the race? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:33
Tuesday's debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump brought fierce exchanges over immigration, abortion and foreign policy, and showed that America's global role matters in this election. Bronwen Maddox is joined by…
Are autocracies at war with democracy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:02
To kick off the third series of the podcast, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum joins Bronwen Maddox to discuss the network of autocracies that now challenge liberal democracies and the world order they onc…
Venezuela's stolen election: Will Nicolás Maduro retain power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:56
Venezuelans are protesting against Nicolás Maduro's claim to have won the presidential election. Bronwen Maddox is joined from Caracas by journalist turned opposition politician Paola Bautista de Aleman and the FT's Lati…
What would a Harris presidency mean for the world? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:50
Democratic big hitters have coalesced around Kamala Harris as the Party's new nominee, but what do we know about her world view, especially on Gaza, and the place of US leadership in the world? Bronwen Maddox is joined b…
Will MAGA redefine America's foreign policy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:47
The Republican National Convention is underway in Wisconsin just days after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Bronwen Maddox is joined by journalists Edward Luce and David E Sanger to discuss the selection of…
What more can NATO do for Ukraine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
NATO's Washington summit takes place amid growing uncertainty about US leadership, and some of Russia's heaviest missile attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. Bronwen Maddox is joined by two former US ambassador…
Independent Thinking: UK election reaction special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:59
In this recording of a Chatham House event, Bronwen Maddox is joined by an expert panel on the morning of Labour's landslide win in the UK general election. Will Hutton, Anne McElvoy, James Heappey and Olivia O'Sullivan…
Is the South China Sea the world's next flashpoint? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:04
On 17 June China's coastguard clashed violently with the Philippines near an isolated coral reef in the South China Sea. Tensions are running high between Beijing and Manila, a key US ally. Bronwen Maddox is joined this…
Is America turning its back on the world it helped to build? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:13
Joining Bronwen Maddox this week is Fareed Zakaria, the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN. Recorded at our 2024 London Conference, they discuss the consequences of the US stepping back from its alliances, and the interna…
Has the world forgotten the women of Afghanistan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:34
With Bronwen Maddox this week is Shaharzad Akbar, the former chair of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission and an Academy Associate at Chatham House. Joining them are Nilofar Sakhi, a Non-Resident Senior Fel…