Persuasion | Yascha Mounk | Substack

In Defence of Striving

What we can all learn from Texas high school mariachis.

Nov 7 •

The Most Important Supreme Court Case of the Year (So Far)

The justices seem deeply skeptical about Trump's tariffs.

Nov 6 •

I've Analyzed Democrats' Rhetoric. Here's How They Can Win

Last night's victories mask deeper failings.

Nov 5 •

Lauren Harper Pope

Tucker Carlson Just Mainstreamed Anti-Semitism

Why his interview with Nick Fuentes matters.

Nov 3 •

When They Go Low, We Go... Low

To combat Trumpism, Democrats play the imitation game.

Nov 5 •

Most Popular

Elon Musk and the Decline of Western Civilization

Jan 13 • Francis Fukuyama

It’s the Internet, Stupid

Oct 2 • Francis Fukuyama

A Letter From An Iranian

Jun 21

How Art Lost Its Way

Jan 6 • William Deresiewicz

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Frankly Fukuyama

5:44

Superintelligence Isn't Enough

A new episode of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast!

Nov 7 •

Francis Fukuyama

54:28

Why China and the United States are Different

Francis Fukuyama interviews—and is interviewed by—Dan Wang.

Nov 5 •

Francis Fukuyama

28:04

Gabrielius Landsbergis on What Next For Europe

A new episode of the Frankly Fukuyama podcast.

Oct 31 •

Francis Fukuyama

Newsletters

Essays and conversations about big ideas from our editor-in-chief.

American Purpose

American Purpose at Persuasion is a continuation of the magazine, media project, and intellectual community chaired by Francis Fukuyama. Includes Larry Diamond's "Diamond on Democracy" column and the "Bookstack" podcast with Richard Aldous.

Yascha Mounk

When They Go Low, We Go... Low

To combat Trumpism, Democrats play the imitation game.

Nov 5 •

We All Live in a Village Now

How social media destroyed the freedoms of city life.

Oct 31 •

Lawfare Makes Us All Less Free

Comey's indictment sets a very dangerous precedent.

Sep 27 •

Recommendations

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Podcast: The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk

1:11:54

George Packer on Liberal Values in Authoritarian Times

Yascha Mounk and George Packer discuss autocracy in literature and real life.

8 hrs ago •

56:10

The Good Fight Club: Mayor Mamdani, the Crackup at Heritage, and the Death of Dick Cheney

Sam Kahn, Mike Pesca, Christine Rosen, and Yascha Mounk take a look at the news this week.

Nov 6 •

1:29:48

Joseph Heath on the Death of Marxism

Yascha Mounk and Joseph Heath also discuss how to create an equal society.

Nov 4 •

Podcasts

The Good Fight

George Packer on Liberal Values in Authoritarian Times

Frankly Fukuyama

Superintelligence Isn't Enough

Bookstack

Phillips O'Brien on War and Power

American Purpose

Europe Must Create Its Own Future

The EU is slowly waking up from its stupor.

Nov 5 •

Taking Stock of America’s Slide to Autocracy

A year after the 2024 election, things are looking dire.

Nov 3 •

Bellow’s Warning

What we can learn from the blacklisting of one of America’s most prestigious writers.

Oct 30 •

Hegseth’s Dangerous Obsession With Lethality

The “warrior ethos” is no way to run an army.

Oct 24 •

Deregulation for Me, Regulation for Thee

Trump hasn’t actually reduced the burden of the administrative state—he’s just shifted it onto all of us.

Oct 20 •

Bookstack

28:20

Phillips O'Brien on War and Power

Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.

Nov 2 •

27:22

Episode 172: Phillip and William Taubman on McNamara at War

Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.

Oct 5 •

29:59

Episode 171: Scott Anderson on the Iranian Revolution

Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.

Sep 21 •

29:34

Episode 170: Simon Ball on A Modern History of Assassination

Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.

Sep 7 •

Recent posts

Taking Stock of America’s Slide to Autocracy

A year after the 2024 election, things are looking dire.

Nov 3 •

What the Dutch Election Says About the Future of Europe

Fortress Liberalism is on the rise.

Oct 31 •

Liberalism As Mob Boss

How to respond to conservative critiques of actually existing liberal societies.

Oct 30 •

Alexandre Lefebvre

We All Live in a Village Now

How social media destroyed the freedoms of city life.

Oct 31 •

Zohran Mamdani Is a Spectacular Own Goal

If they want to defeat Trump, Democrats need to stop making this sort of mistake.

Oct 29 •

The latest from

Yascha Mounk

George Packer on Liberal Values in Authoritarian Times

Quico Toro

In Defence of Striving

Francis Fukuyama

Superintelligence Isn't Enough

Leonora Barclay

This Week At Persuasion

Richard Aldous

Phillips O'Brien on War and Power

Sam Kahn

Zohran Mamdani Is a Spectacular Own Goal

Luke Hallam

The Censors Come for Kimmel

David Hamburger

A Letter From An Israeli Shelter

Why Liberalism: A Series By Persuasion

Liberalism As Mob Boss

How to respond to conservative critiques of actually existing liberal societies.

Oct 30 •

Alexandre Lefebvre

An Open Society Requires Constant Vigilance

Liberalism is built on paradoxes—but we have a duty to defend it.

Sep 10 •

Roger Partridge

Bringing Human Nature Back In

Francis Fukuyama in the latest of our series “Why Liberalism.”

Aug 13 •

Francis Fukuyama

The Woke Right Stands At the Door

Whence comes this uncanniest of all guests?

Aug 6 •

Gradual Change is F***ing Awesome—And Liberalism Knows It

On Darwin, abuse, and Costanza politics.

Jul 30 •

The "Deep State" and Its Discontents: A Series By American Purpose

Deregulation for Me, Regulation for Thee

Trump hasn’t actually reduced the burden of the administrative state—he’s just shifted it onto all of us.

Oct 20 •

What Wednesday Taught Us About Trump’s Attitude to the Federal Bureaucracy

As if we needed any more reminders.

Oct 17 •

Armageddon in the Civil Service

Under cover of the government shutdown, Trump is stretching presidential powers even further by firing thousands of workers.

Oct 15 •

From Retribution to Regulatory Regime

The Trump administration has learned from earlier mistakes in its education policies.

Sep 15 •

R. Shep Melnick

Universities, Liberalism and Democracy: A Series By Persuasion

A Pedagogy of the Empowered

The left-wing cancellations of yesteryear teach us how to respond to the right-wing censorship of today.

May 26 •

How I Learned To Stop Criticizing Everything

There are two directions higher education can take. Here’s why I chose pluralism.

Oct 25, 2024 •

The current system is broken. Here’s what truly inclusive institutions would look like.

Sep 26, 2024 •

Rachel Kleinfeld

Reflections on the New Encampment Culture

There were many puzzling features of the recent protests. This coming year, universities must course correct—while protecting the right to dissent.

Sep 20, 2024 •

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