BBC Radio Podcasts from Analysis
The low pay puzzle
Why, after 25 years of rising wages, do most workers feel worse off?
How real is the existential threat from AI?
AI can't kill us, so why are imaginary threats being taken so seriously?
What would Isambard Kingdom Brunel have done?
Could Britain's most famous civil engineer solve the UK's infrastructure problems?
Power Drive
Motorists wield votes that politicians want, but is that power balance going to change?
How to cure the small town blues
What can Middlesbrough teach us about regeneration?
How to Dismantle a Democracy
How governments manipulate the law and bureaucracy to take democracies apart.
What is 'British culture'?
How can people truly integrate into British culture when it's not clearly defined?
Has the family had its day?
Is staying together for the sake of the children a basis for a safe, successful society?
What's the future of nudge?
What does the future hold for for the behavioural change methods known as nudge?
Can reading really improve your life?
Reading for pleasure can improve children's outcomes - but it's also in decline.
Can the UK afford a mental health crisis?
Is poor mental health amongst young people affecting the economy?
France: a constitutional crisis in the making
Could Macron's centrist dominance lead France towards a constitutional crisis?
What on earth is the national interest?
Exploring the origins, evolution and current use of the politicians' favourite phrase.
What makes a good school?
How can parents, teachers and school leaders work out if a school is 'good'?
How can we grow the UK economy?
Is there anything governments can do to get the economy growing again?
The Democratic Brain
What scanning the brain may reveal about our political affiliations.
How far should reparative justice go?
Zoe Strimpel weighs up the reparation claims for historical injustices like slavery.
Is there a new elite?
Who’s really in charge? A new progressive elite, or the rich, privileged born-to-rule?
Why are so many workers on strike?
Why are strikes being called all over Britain, and what will bring them to an end?
Does work have to be miserable?
Could 'job design' make British workers more productive? Pauline Mason investigates.
Do single people get a raw deal?
Is society stacked against single people? Ant Adeane investigates.
What’s changing about childbirth?
Is maternity care keeping up with societal changes?
What are companies for?
What are companies for? Ruth Sunderland investigates.
Do Boycotts Work?
Do boycotts lead to change or are they lazy activism? David Baker investigates
We know how to stop knife crime, so why don’t we do it?
There are proven ways to reduce knife crime, so why don’t we do more of what works?
Lessons from the vaccine task force
What are the lessons from the success of the UK's Vaccine Task Force?
Can the Met police change?
Margaret Heffernan asks: can the Metropolitan police force change?
Is Britain exceptional?
Zoe Strimpel finds the roots for Britain's dynamism, diversity and culture wars.
King Charles' Challenge
As the coronation approaches, we ask what the future holds for the monarchy and its king.
Does it matter who our MPs are?
Should we be on the lookout for ‘someone like me’ when casting our votes?
The death of globalisation?
Are we witnessing the death of globalisation?
From Brother to Other
How were Russians persuaded to support a war against their closest neighbour Ukraine?
Has economic crisis put net-zero plans on the backburner?
Are economic problems holding up the UK’s path to net zero?
Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Foundational Economy
Blaenau Ffestiniog investigates whether the foundational economy is viable.
Can we ever really tackle rising public spending?
Philip Coggan examines the rise in public spending and the political battle to contain it
Why do we assume women care?
Is our society still trapping women in caring roles?
Economic Growth - can we ever have enough?
Should there be a ceiling for economic growth in developed countries?
Is 'Political Blackness' gone for good?
Mobeen Azhar asks what’s next after 'political blackness' and 'BAME'?
Can Effective Altruism really change the world?
Can effective altruism really change the world?
How Xi Jinping did it
How China’s Xi Jinping took control of his party and his country.
Is ethical surrogacy possible?
Is surrogacy the commercialisation of a woman's body or the greatest gift she can give?
What's the point of street protest?
Is it ever worth joining a protest march?
Addiction in the age of the metaverse
Are we past the point of no return when it comes to our obsession with online technology?
Is the UK the new sick man of Europe?
Why is the UK's economy falling behind its European neighbours and what is the cure?
What is childcare for?
Early years education or allowing parents to work – the purpose of pre-school childcare.
Beyond the cost of living crisis
Why is inflation on the rise, and what can we do about it?
Cashing in on the green rush
Some countries have legalised cannabis - but how lucrative has it really been?
Germany and Russia: It's Complicated
How is Germany's long-standing relationship with Russia affecting its response to Ukraine?
The Advertising Trap
Digital advertising fuels the online economy, but is it all based on smoke and mirrors?
Can Nationalism be a Force for Good?
Charting the birth of the nation state and if nationalism can exist in a healthy form.
From Russia with love
How Russia exerts its influence across the globe.
The Court of Putin
Inside the murky world of decision-making in Putin’s Russia.
Can the UK ever be a low tax economy again?
As tax rises hit pay packets next month is this an end to Conservative low tax policy?
Ending Violence
Is a world without violence possible? Sonia Sodha finds out.
The case for public service reform
Chris Naylor asks if there's a better way to deliver public services.
Planning, Housing and Politics
How can we build new homes without alienating voters? Hashi Mohamed investigates.
Tackling Inequality
Probing the results of a major study into our unequal society.
Why worry about future generations?
What - if anything - do we owe to people who have not yet been born?
Can we create a universal Covid vaccine?
Can scientists develop a vaccine which can combat the coronavirus and all its variants?
Finding Things Out
The story of how science has been trying to get better at finding things out.
Baby Boom or Bust
Birth rates in many countries are getting lower. Should we worry about this or welcome it?
Revenge of the Workers
With labour shortages from HGV drivers to restaurants, are workers gaining power again?
Parental Alienation
Sonia Sodha explores the use of “parental alienation” in the family courts
Look who's talking - the rise of ‘voice cloning’
As voice cloning technology advances how might it affect society and politics?
Who Defends Europe?
After Afghanistan and France's defence row with the US, who will ensure Europe's security?
Reimagining the Nation
What happens to a nation when its media fragments?
Cancelling Colston
The statue of Bristol slaver Edward Colston has gone – but his legacy persists in the city
Science in the Time of Cancel Culture
What impact are social justice movements having on scientific research and development?
Stalemate: Israel and the Palestinians after Gaza
What prospects are there for a two state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
A Hundred Glorious Years?
What view of its history does China's Communist Party present, what does it omit and why?
A New Unionism?
Chris Bowlby assesses the future of Unionism in Northern Ireland
Funny Money
Where does money's value come from in this increasingly online world? Ben Chu investigates
Marvellous Medicine
Has the pandemic enabled us to accelerate the pace of drug development?
The Zoomshock Metropolis
How remote working and online shopping could reshape our towns and cities.
What the Foucault?
Why are some British politicians afraid of a dead French philosopher?
Global Britain: is there substance behind the slogan?
Post-Brexit, the UK is re-branding itself as "Global Britain", but what does that mean?
Science in the Time of Covid-19
What has the pandemic revealed about science and our relationship with it?
The Fine Art of Decision Making
Margaret Heffernan explores the fine art of decision making in times of uncertainty.
Levelling Up Wakefield
Anand Menon returns to his home city to road test plans to level up the UK economy.
Magic Weapons
What is political warfare and what should we do about it?
Boiled Rabbits of the Left?
Ex-Labour voters say the party is insufficiently patriotic. So what should it do about it?
Flying Blind
Michael Blastland examines how our collective ignorance affects policy and debate.
Rogue Cops
How can we identify rogue cops?
Personality Politics
Are we predisposed by our personality to be drawn to certain policies or ideologies?
Chasing Unicorns
What does the future hold for Silicon Valley's tech start ups in a post-pandemic world?
Who Runs that Place?
Who takes China's big decisions, how are they reached and what power struggles lie ahead?
This Fractured Isle
Edward Stourton asks whether Covid-19 could hasten the breakup of the United Kingdom.
The Future of Welfare
Should Britain’s social insurance system be more German?
The Rise and Fall of the Bond Market Traders
Governments are borrowing more than ever, but does it matter?
Trouble on the backbenches? Tory Leaders and their MPs
Rosie Campbell assesses the relationship between Tory leaders and their MPs.
Planning for the Worst
How ready are we for the next pandemic, cyber attack, volcanic eruption, or solar storm?
Is the Internet Broken?
Is the infrastructure of the internet up to scratch?
Behavioural Science and the Pandemic
Behavioural fatigue: what is it, where did it come from, and what’s the link with Nudge?
Humans vs the Planet
What the ‘we are the virus’ meme tells us about green politics.
Thinking for the Long Term
How critical is the ability to think and plan for the long term?
The Post-Pandemic State
What should government priorities be now that it has such a dominant role in the economy?
Radical Self-Care
What do we get wrong about self-care?
Modern Parenting
More time and money is being spent on children than ever before. Why?
The Smack of Firm Leadership
Which leaders will emerge stronger from the global pandemic - authoritarians or democrats?
The Return of Reality?
What might the pandemic do for our sense of shared reality?
Identity Wars: lessons from the Dreyfus Affair and Brexit Britain
Can divided societies heal? Lessons from the Dreyfus Affair, which split France in two.
Command and Control?
What would be different if 10 Downing Street rather than the Treasury ran economic policy?
The Roots of 'Woke' Culture
Journalist Helen Lewis uncovers the roots of 'woke' culture.
Unequal England
Paul Johnson explores what the world of work tells us about inequality in England.
China's Captured "Princess"
How the furore over a single arrest demonstrates China's rising power.
It's Not Easy Being Green
Why aren't The Greens more popular?
Do voters need therapy?
James Tilley asks to what extent our politics is now steeped in cognitive distortion?
The Early Years Miracle?
The government spends billions on early years education - but what good is it doing?
The NHS, AI and Our Data
Will a combination of data and artificial intelligence transform the future of the NHS?
Get woke or go broke?
Are businesses serious about getting woke or is it old capitalism with new lipstick on?
NATO at 70
NATO won the first Cold War, but could it lose the second?
The uses and misuses of history in politics
How well do our politicians understand British history?
Can I Change Your Mind?
Margaret Heffernan challenges a view that polarisation means we do not change our minds.
State Aid: Brexit, Bailouts and Corporate Bonanzas
Do the EU's state aid rules hold the UK back from having a more active industrial policy?
The New Censorship
How censorship works in our information age.
A question of artefacts
How should museums deal with contentious legacies?
The Problem with Boys
The reverse gender gap: why boys are failing at school and what can be done about it.
Whiteness
Do white people need to think more about their race?
A shorter working week
What happened to the dream of working less? Sonia Sodha investigates the four-day week.
Going the way of the dodo? The decline of Britain's two main parties.
Are Britain's two main political parties now in terminal decline?
The Forgotten Half
Why is the further education of young people who don't go to university so neglected?
Understanding the risks of terrorism
How should the authorities, MI5 and the public perceive and respond to the threat?
Can computer profiles cut crime?
Can computer algorithms predict and even prevent future crime?
Green technology and early adoption
Simon Jack investigates whether the UK should be an early adopter of green technology.
The Real Gender Pay Gap
Women are paid less than men and do more unpaid work. What's going on and can we fix it?
Maintenance
Why better maintenance is one of the most urgent and creative challenges we face.
Love Island, dating apps and the politics of desire
Shahidha Bari explores the changing landscape of modern love.
Will China and America go to war?
Will competition between China and the United States inevitably lead to military conflict?
Are we heading for a mass extinction?
Will human actions result in the demise of huge numbers of other species?
Will humans survive the century?
What is the chance of the human race surviving the 21st century?
Deliberative Democracy
Could assemblies of ordinary citizens help heal our political divides?
Irish Questions
Have British politics been more shaped by Irish history than most MPs are ready to admit?
Fair Exchange?
Does a falling currency help or harm the economy?
Conspiracy Politics
Are we living in a golden age of political conspiracy theories?
Do children of married parents do better?
Does being born to non-married parents affect a child's prospects in life?
The War for Normal
How influencers are trying - and succeeding - in changing our world views
America's Friends
Jim Naughtie examines what the Trump presidency means for America's old European allies.
The Trumped Republicans
Republican insider Ron Christie on how Donald Trump's presidency has changed his party.
The Next Crash
What could cause a future financial crash? Ian Goldin investigates.
The Replication Crisis
Many key findings of psychological research are under question. What's going on?
How to kill a democracy
How many democracies around the world are gradually being dismantled
Do Assassinations Work?
Poison, exploding cigars and shooting down planes: tales of espionage and statesmanship.
The Pupil Premium
Has extra funding through the pupil premium helped poorer children succeed at school?
Northern Ireland - Where Next?
Northern Ireland could soon face a huge decision - whether to leave the UK.
Operation Tory Black Vote
Can the Conservatives ever win over non-white support?
Power Shift
How power moved from west to east after the 2008 financial crisis
The Truth About Britain's Beggars
Former homeless drug-addict Mark Johnson explores our relationship with street beggars
What's Fair?
Why do we struggle with very different notions of fairness when it comes to social care?
Trump and Trade
As a US trade war looms, how far will President Trump go to put 'America First'?
British Politics: A Russian View
Is political technology causing society to fragment?
The Middle East Conundrum
Is there any chance of a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Can Technology Be Stopped?
Is it time to disrupt the disrupters and rein in big tech?
Death Is a Bore
Can science offer us a realistic prospect of immortality and would it be desirable?
Disconnected Britain
Will new infrastructure spending help all of Britain prosper, or widen its divides?
Algorithm Overlords
Are we giving machines too much power over our lives?
#metoo, moi non plus
Do French women really think differently about sexual harassment?
Too Young to Veil?
An investigation into the growing number of very young girls wearing the hijab in the UK.
The End of Arms Control?
Existing arms control treaties are under threat - just as new weapons emerge.
Screens and Teens
Are smartphones harming our kids? David Baker looks for solutions.
What Are Universities For?
Sonia Sodha considers if it is time to rethink the fundamental purpose of university.
Town v Gown: New Tribes in Brexit Britain
Edward Stourton investigates the impact of the education gap on voting and politics.
The Dictator's Survival Guide
A handbook on the strategies autocrats use to survive in office.
Political Electricity
Electricity is crucial to modern life - but will we all get the power we need?
A Very British Battle
Caroline Wyatt explores the big questions facing the UK's armed forces.
The Illiberal Democrats
How big of a challenge to the EU are Poland and Hungary's new 'illiberal' paths?
Why Are Even Women Biased Against Women?
Women are sexist too, often unconsciously. Where does this implicit bias come from?
The Invisible Hand of Donald Trump
Martin Wolf of the Financial Times examines the economic impact of President Donald Trump
Offence, Power and Progress
Taking offence on social media: over-sensitivity or a force for progress?
Authenticity
Professor Rosie Campbell asks how we can make judgements about politicians' authenticity.
Primate Politics
Professor James Tilley discovers how chimpanzee power struggles mirror human politics.
Courting Trouble
A clumsy pass or harassment? Jo Fidgen asks: what are the new rules of relationships.
Europe Unbound
How will the European Union change after Britain leaves?
Parliament - A Building Catastrophe?
What does the dangerous state of the Houses of Parliament tell us about our politics?
Can We Teach Robots Ethics?
What happens when a machine faces a moral dilemma? David Edmonds investigates.
What would war with North Korea look like?
What could spark a conflict, and how devastating would it be?
The Fintech Revolution
Will technology radically reshape the highly profitable world of finance?
Reducing re-offending
The teams are given just one day to find ways to stop criminals re-offending
The Fix: Childhood Obesity
The teams have just one day to find solutions to the problem of childhood obesity
The Fix: Setting Up Home
Twelve of the country's brightest young minds gather to solve difficult social problems.
Understanding Prevent
David Anderson examines the government's controversial counter-terrorism strategy Prevent
Minimum Wage: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Paul Johnson asks if the policy's success has led to politicians stretching it too far.
Yascha Mounk on democracy at risk
The political theorist who argues that liberal democracy is in grave danger.
Is work too easy?
Michael Blastland asks if desk-bound work is making us obese.
Constitutions at Work
Constitutions control the people who run countries - but how well do they work?
Who Speaks for the Workers?
Union membership is in decline. So who will represent the workers of the gig economy?
Brexit: A Tale of Two Cities
A year on from the Brexit referendum we compare Wakefield to Oxford, Leave vs Remain
What went wrong with Brazil?
How did Brazil's boom years turn to dust? David Baker investigates.
Germany - Anxious Giant
As angst over European security grows, why is Germany such a reluctant military power?
Implicit Bias
David Edmonds asks if we are unconsciously harbouring racist and sexist attitudes.
Aid: Something to Boast About?
Why is the UK such a generous global aid donor, and should it be? Jo Coburn investigates.
Adventures in Social Mobility
What are the unwritten rules you must learn to get a top job?
Detoxifying France's National Front
Has Marine Le Pen succeeded in detoxifying the party founded by her father 40 years ago?
Holland's Challenge to Tolerance
Why is liberal, tolerant Netherlands home to a major anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party?
How do the SNP sell a second referendum?
Could a second referendum on Scottish independence yield a different result?
How Voters Decide: Part Two
What makes us change our mind when it comes to elections?
How Voters Decide: Part One
Rosie Campbell examines the bias that voters bring to the ballot box.
Analysis Extra: The Pull of Putin
Tim Whewell asks why populist Western politicians want warmer relations with Russia.
Is Talent a Thing?
Why it could be counter-productive to hire by talent, and what to look for instead.
How Not to Do It
Jacqui Smith reveals why one of New Labour's most cherished sentencing reforms failed.
Atom Man
The journey of an American 'cold warrior' from nuclear deterrence to nuclear disarmament.
Hospital Trust?
Is public affection for the NHS preventing it from becoming fit for the future?
Brexit: What Europe Wants
How political forces in other countries will shape any future UK-EU deal.
How Did We Save the Ozone Layer?
The story, and lessons, of the international effort to end ozone-destroying chemicals.
Trusting Inmates
Should we place more trust in prisoners to help them change their lives?
The Myth of Mobs
David Edmonds asks social psychologists about the psychology of crowds.
Brexit and Northern Ireland
Edward Stourton asks if the island of Ireland is where Brexit will matter most.
Gentrification
David Baker asks if too much gentrification is a bad thing?
Breaking Promises
Paul Johnson asks if the government should break pledges made to pensioners.
Tearing Up the Politics Textbook
Is it time for British politics professors to bin their old lecture notes and start again?
How Low Can Rates Go?
Martin Wolf examines how the search to revive growth is testing the norms of economics.
A Subversive History of School Reform
Professor Alison Wolf on the surprising story of postwar school reform in England.
Money for Nothing
Should the state pay everyone a universal basic income? Sonia Sodha investigates.
Obama's World
What has governed President Obama's foreign policy?
The Charitable Impulse
What are the pros and cons of charities becoming more like businesses in raising money?
Marxism Today
Robin Aitken explores the continuing appeal of the ideas of Karl Marx.
The New Young Fogeys
Jason Cowley asks why young people today are - weirdly - so well-behaved.
Silicon Valley Values
Are the values of Silicon Valley's tech visionaries now affecting all of us?
Protectionism in the USA
Edward Stourton on the history and recent renaissance of American opposition to free trade
Beyond Binary
Linda Pressly explores the challenge to conventional ideas from 'gender-neutral' people.
Free Speech 1 - Oxygen of Freedom
An introduction to freedom of speech and why it is important by Timothy Garton Ash
Free Speech 2 - I'm Offended
Speakers deemed 'offensive' are being banned from universities. What about free speech?
Free Speech 3 - Respect Me, Respect My Religion
Is religion a special case where freedom of speech should be curtailed?
Free Speech 4 - Media We Need
Timothy Garton Ash asks whether we really have a free press
Free Speech 5 - Big Brother is Watching
Timothy Garton Ash examines how threats to privacy affect freedom of speech
The Deobandis: Part 2
Owen Bennett Jones reveals a secret history of Jihadist propagation in Britain
The Deobandis: Part 1
One Islamic network runs over 40% of UK mosques. Who are they and what do they believe?
The Philby Tape
Notorious Soviet spy Kim Philby as he’s never been heard before
Corporate Amnesia
Phil Tinline finds out what happens when institutions lose their memory.
The End of Free
Will ad-blocking software kill off most free news on the internet?
Power to the People?
Will devolution deliver the power promised to England's cities and regions?
Labour and the Bomb
Why has Britain's nuclear deterrent been such a difficult issue for the Labour Party?
Multiculturalism: Newham v Leicester
Sonia Sodha explores how two of the UK's most multicultural places are managing diversity.
Inheritance
Jo Fidgen asks why inheritance arouses such powerful emotions.
Brexit: The Irish Question
Edward Stourton asks what happens on the island of Ireland if the UK leaves the EU.
Space Wars, Space Peace
Chris Bowlby explores the past and future of cooperation and conflict in outer space.
Tomas Sedlacek: The Economics of Good and Evil
Radical ideas on debt, growth and sin from a disruptive thinker.
Correspondents' Look Ahead: 2016
Top BBC correspondents predict what will shape our world in 2016
Will They Always Hate Us?
Can psychology help opposing groups overcome conflict situations? David Edmonds finds out.
Currencies and Countries
John Redwood asks how viable currency unions can be without political unions behind them.
Killing Cows
Jo Fidgen asks if killing cows for food can be morally justified.
Will George Be King?
Edward Stourton examines the long-term prospects for the British monarchy.
Scotland's Radical Land Reform
Euan McIllwraith explores why Scotland's land ownership is up for grabs and why now.
The Iran-Iraq War's Legacy
How far is the Middle East today defined by the legacy of the Iran-Iraq war?
Can We Learn to Live with Nuclear Power?
Fukushima made many people oppose nuclear power. What it would take to change their minds?
What's Housing Benefit For?
Britain spends £25 billion on Housing Benefit. Why so much? And what good does it do?
Free Movement: Britain's Burning EU debate
Sonia Sodha discovers why freedom of movement is such a key issue in Britain's EU debate.
Populism
Who are 'the people' - and what do they really want? Eliane Glaser explores populism.
Why do American police kill so many black men?
Helena Merriman explores the recent wave of shootings of unarmed black men in the USA.
Samuel Scheffler on the Afterlife
Philosopher Samuel Scheffler, with Woody Allen's help, reveals our hidden motivating force
Is it Time for the Internet to Grow Up?
The world wide web is 25 years old. What do we want from its next 25 years?
How Gay Became OK
Why have British attitudes towards homosexuality changed so far and so fast?
Making Invisibles Visible
Linda Yueh asks why, when services dominate the UK economy, we seem uninterested in them.
Is the Pope a Communist?
Is Pope Francis a communist, as some of his critics claim? Edward Stourton investigates.
Ritual Sexual Abuse: The Anatomy of a Panic (Part 2)
David Aaronovitch traces society's shift from wrongful denial to excessive credulity.
Ritual Sexual Abuse: The Anatomy of a Panic (Part 1)
David Aaronovitch traces the journey from wrongful denial to excessive credulity.
The Edge
Is the West losing its military edge?
Company vs Country
Michael Robinson asks what lies behind the boom in companies suing governments.
Two-Nation Britain
Is Britain's real political divide between the cosmopolitans and the rest?
Caring in the New Old Age
Is it time to rethink how older people are cared for to enable fulfilling lives?
The End of Development
Anthropologist Henrietta Moore argues that development is an outmoded concept.
When Robots Steal Our Jobs
Technology has decimated manual labour. Now it has its sights on white-collar work.
Artificial Intelligence
As top scientists warn of the risks of AI, should we fear super-intelligent machines?
Downward Social Mobility
Social mobility is good for those on the up, but what about those who go down?
You Can't Say That
Is there a right to cause offence? Edward Stourton explores the limits of free expression.
Referendum Conundrums
After the drama of the Scottish vote, what would an in-out EU referendum be like?
Maskirovka: Deception Russian-Style
Lucy Ash explores maskirovka, the Russia strategy of military deception.
Correspondents Look Ahead
Mark Mardell forecasts how the world could change in 2015, aided by top BBC journalists.
Precedents or Principles?
How far are we influenced by precedent in reaching decisions and how much by principles?
Conservative Muslims, Liberal Britain
David Goodhart on liberal Britain's relationship with socially conservative Muslims.
Just Culture
Margaret Heffernan explores why big organisations so often make big mistakes.
Inside Welfare Reform
How well has the government implemented its controversial welfare reforms?
The Idea of the Caliphate
How has the concept of an Islamic caliphate evolved and been expressed through history?
Meet the Family
Politicians love talking about families. But do they understand modern family life?
Peston and the House of Debt
Robert Peston asks if skyrocketing household debt or the banks caused the 2007-8 crash.
Michael Pollan on Food
What should we eat? An interview with author Michael Pollan about what food is and is not.
Thrifty Debtors
Has the downturn has made us thriftier, or are we stuck with high personal debt?
The End of the Pay Rise?
British wages have fallen since 2008. Paul Johnson asks if they will ever pick up.
Tories: Nasty or Nice?
Robin Aitken explores why the Tories have struggled with the label of 'the nasty party'.
Varieties of Capitalism
Can a country switch from one form of capitalism to another? Jeremy Cliffe investigates.
What Does Putin Want?
Edward Stourton investigates the Russian leader's geostrategic vision.
Time to Rethink Asylum?
Tim Finch explores ideas for a radical rethink about the way we deal with asylum seekers.
Deirdre McCloskey
Economic historian Deirdre McCloskey on why poverty matters more than inequality.
Why Minsky Matters
Do the theories of Hyman Minsky provide a radical challenge to mainstream economics?
Eldar Shafir: Scarcity
An interview with psychologist Eldar Shafir about the concept of scarcity.
The Jihadi Spring
Is al-Qaeda the real beneficiary of the multiple failures of the Arab revolutions?
Scotland and the Union: Can Britain be Rebooted?
As Scotland votes on independence, Douglas Fraser asks if there's a vision for Britain.
Life by Lottery
Jo Fidgen asks if we should use chance to solve difficult political dilemmas.
A Is for Anonymous
Frances Stonor Saunders asks why people want anonymity while venerating individuality too.
What is Wahhabism?
Is the Saudi-style ultra-conservative branch of Islam the ideological engine of extremism?
The Philosophy of Russell Brand
Jeremy Cliffe encounters the ideas and personalities behind a new 'anarcho-populism'.
Last Rites for the Church of England?
Andrew Brown asks if the Church of England has become fatally disconnected from society.
Roberto Unger
Roberto Unger explains why he thinks fellow left-of-centre progressives lack imagination.
France: Sinking Slowly?
Can France afford its attachment to the big state? Emma Jane Kirby presents.
Importing the Metropolitan Revolution
Matthew Taylor looks at the grassroots economic revolution being led by big cities.
Syria: Inside the Opposition
Edward Stourton investigates the alternatives to President Assad.
Quantitative Easing: Miracle Cure or Dangerous Addiction?
Could QE lead to another economic crisis? Liam Halligan argues that it could.
What Are Charities For?
Have big charities lost their philanthropic purpose? Fran Abrams investigates.
Edward Snowden: Leaker, Saviour, Traitor, Spy?
Are state secrets doomed by an emerging alliance of the anti-state right and liberal left?
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: Why Did They Fail?
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood won at the polls but failed to keep power. What went wrong?
The Rule of Law v the Rule of Man
Jamie Whyte asks if it is OK to punish tax avoiders who have obeyed the letter of the law.
Scottish Nationalism: From Protest to Power
Scottish nationalism - breaking free or playing safe? Douglas Fraser investigates.
They're Coming for Your Money
Paul Johnson argues that taxes look set to rise and finds out which ones and who will pay.
Syria and the New Lines in the Sand
Does the Middle East any longer recognise the 'lines in the sand' imposed by the West?
Pornography: What Do We Know?
What does the best evidence tell us about the effects of pornography? Jo Fidgen presents.
Predistribution
Predistribution is Labour's new idea. The US thinker who invented it explains what it is.
The Quantified Self: Can Life Be Measured?
Life-logging and other obsessions of the nascent 'quantified self' movement explored.
Is Regional Policy a Waste of Time?
As the gap grows between English north and south, is regional policy a waste of time?
Labour's New New Jerusalem
Leading Labour figures urge a radical policy - dismantling the top-down welfare state.
Nudge Theory in Practice
How well have politicians' attempts to 'nudge' us into doing what they want worked?
Who Decides if I'm a Woman?
Jo Fidgen explores the ideas causing tension between feminists and transgender people.
Three Score Years and Twenty
Is Britain a good country to grow old in? Chris Bowlby investigates.
Islamists International
The impact of the Arab Spring on the global reach of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Roberto Unger & Vulgar Keynesianism
Tim Finch asks if current left-of-centre thinking on the economy needs to be more radical.
Making the Best of a Bad Job
David Goodhart asks whether too much stress on social mobility has demeaned ordinary jobs.
Creative Destruction
Should we be celebrating that some of Britain's big high street brands have gone bust?
The Alawis
Owen Bennett Jones looks at Syria's Alawis, the sect to which President Assad belongs.
A Scottish Pound?
Chris Bowlby explores the cash question facing an independent Scotland.
The Rise of Executive Power
Why have workers appeared so weak as bosses tip the balance of power in their favour?
Green Shoots from the Arab Spring
How the Arab Spring has affected the mindset of ordinary people in the Middle East.
Left Turn to Catholic Social Teaching?
Matthew Taylor examines Labour's interest in Catholic social teaching.
Labour, the Left and Europe
Edward Stourton asks if Labour should re-evaluate its attitude to the EU.
The School of Hard Facts
Fran Abrams examines the radical ideas of ED Hirsch set to reshape English education.
Manuel Castells: Alternative Economic Cultures
Prof Manuel Castells on the rise of new economic cultures since the financial crisis.
Keeping the Free Market Faith
Jamie Whyte defends free market ideas in apparently troubled times for capitalism.
Obama: Peacemaker or Vigilante?
Mukul Devichand asks what President Obama has actually achieved on the world stage.
Social Epidemiology
Exploring the academic discipline which tries to work out why the health gap exists.
Political Prejudice
Michael Blastland on why your approach to politics might not be as rational as you think.
The Philosopher's Arms: Law and Morality
Why obey the law? Does the law have any moral force?
The Philosopher's Arms: Sorites' Heap
Fuzzy logic and baldness: what's the connection?
The Philosopher’s Arms: The Fake Van Gogh
Imagine a perfect art fake,indistinguishable from the original. Is it then of equal value?
The Philosopher’s Arms: Theseus’ Ship
Personal Identity is a topic that’s long intrigued philosophers. What makes you you?
The EU Debate
Should Britain stay in the European Union?
China's Battle of Ideas
As China changes leadership, Mukul Devichand probes Beijing's hidden battle of ideas.
The Gold Standard
Simon Jack asks: Would the financial system be more stable if money was backed by gold?
Eurogeddon II
Where is the eurozone heading? Disintegration or super-state? Chris Bowlby investigates.
Cameron's Swede Dreams
Why are Tories and the left obsessed with the 'Swedish model'? Jo Fidgen investigates.
Wasted Youth
Paul Johnson asks why young school leavers face such difficulty finding stable jobs.
Steve Keen: Why Economics is Bunk
Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason interviews the controversial economist Steve Keen.
Middle East: Too Soon for Democracy?
Edward Stourton explores the prospects for post-revolution government in the Arab world.
What Is Money?
Frances Stonor Saunders asks a fundamental question - what is money?
War Gaming Iran
Could a hot war with Iran be about to start? Analysis probes the West's options.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Downing Street Guru
Examining the ideas of Downing Street's favourite intellectual, Nassim Nicolas Taleb.
Neue Labour
Why Germany is providing the inspiration for a Labour rethink. Matthew Taylor presents.
America: The Right Way
Justin Webb explores what the primaries tell us about the state of the right in the US.
Profits Before Pay
Why has pay not risen in line with profits? TUC economist Duncan Weldon investigates.
Preparing for Eurogeddon
Europe thinks the unthinkable - what happens if the eurozone splits.
Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi
Profile of Rachid Ghannouchi, one of the world's most influential Islamist thinkers.
Do Schools Make a Difference?
Are good schools anything more than schools with a good intake? Fran Abrams investigates.
Capitalists Against the Super Rich
Edward Stourton meets the defenders of capitalism turning against the undeserving rich.
Dead Cert
Certainty: is the lust for it a sin? And if so, should politics fear for its soul?
A Price Worth Paying?
Banks are underwritten by the government in Britain. Should the taxpayer bail out banks?
Robert H. Frank: The Darwin Economy
Robert H. Frank explains why he believes Darwin was a better economist than Adam Smith.
Do Leaders Make a Difference?
Michael Blastland explores how far individuals really change what happens in the world.
A New Black Politics?
How the ideologies of British black politics in Britain have changed since the 1980s.
Cultural diplomacy
How effective is cultural diplomacy as a weapon of soft power?
Euroscepticism Uncovered
Edward Stourton asks if the political class is catching up with public opinion on the EU.
Hezbollah
Owen Bennett-Jones asks, what exactly is the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah?
Aid or Immigration?
Could a more relaxed policy on immigration help the developing world more than state aid?
Libya's Islamic Capitalists
Hugh Miles finds out more about Libya's new Islamic capitalism.
Non-Riotous Behaviour
Ask not why people riot, but why they obey the law. Jamie Whyte examines civil obedience.
Unsure about Sure Start
Fran Abrams asks if Sure Start is worth saving and what it has done for children.
The SNP and Scotland
Anne McElvoy assesses the SNP plan to defy austerity Britain and keep Scotland different.
Is America Doomed?
Justin Webb asks whether the United States is capable of averting economic meltdown.
Hague's Middle East
Investigating Foreign Secretary William Hague's vision for the Arab world.
Egypt's New Islamists
Edward Stourton asks if the Egyptian revolution spells the end of old-style Islamism.
Goodbye the Golden Eggs of Banking?
Janan Ganesh asks if ending Britain's focus on financial services will make us richer.
Unhealthy Expectations?
How our health debate avoids the real issue - care costs, and we must choose how to pay.
Blue Labour
David Goodhart examines a radical plan to win back Labour's working-class supporters.
Muscular Liberalism
David Walker examines the prime minister's proposals for 'muscular liberalism'.
Testing the Emotions
Fran Abrams asks whether children need to be taught emotional and social skills in school.
Rethinking the Middle East
Maha Azzam examines the long term implications of the recent uprisings in the Middle East.
The Orange Book: Clegg's Political Lemon?
Edward Stourton assesses where the Liberal Democrats' influential right wing is heading.
The Big Society
Chris Bowlby looks at the practical consequences of replacing the state with volunteers.
Radical Economics: Escaping Credit Serfdom
Paul Mason asks whether the expansion of credit created a new form of worker exploitation.
Radical Economics: Yo Hayek!
Why free market Austrian economics have inspired a rap video and attracted new fans.
Trust
Philosopher and former Reith lecturer Prof Onora O'Neill's latest reflections on trust.
The Deserving and the Undeserving Poor
Presenter Chris Bowlby examines the concept of the undeserving poor.
Criminal rehabilitation: a sub-prime investment?
Emma Jane Kirby investigates Ken Clarke's promised "rehabilitation revolution".
Defence: no stomach for the fight?
With future defence under scrutiny Kenneth Payne asks: are we losing the will to wage war?
The Secret History of Analysis
Analysis celebrates its 40th birthday by revealing the secrets of the programme's past.
Turkey: Staying Secular Insha'Allah
Edward Stourton investigates Turkish politics and the nation's place in the world.
The Spirit Level: the theory of everything?
Is income equality really the great leveller? Mukul Devichand examines the evidence.
Whatever Happened to the Sisterhood?
Budget cuts will hit women three times harder than men. Why aren't feminists protesting?
The Big Society
Anne McElvoy examines what the origins of the government's Big Society idea tell us.
What's Wrong with Child Labour?
Fran Abrams asks why the idea of children earning money causes such unease.
Foreigner Policy
David Goodhart investigates the ideological forces behind mass immigration.
Divorcing Europe
What would happen if Britain chose to leave the European Union? Chris Bowlby reports.
Are Politicians Out of Touch?
Michael Blastland asks if 'group-think' is distancing policy from the public.
Jackanory Politics
Frances Stonor examines the method of delivering a political message by telling a story.