Government & Politics

Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University and a retired Army colonel, discusses his new book, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism.

Joel and Ethan Coen's new black comedy sets its dim-bulb characters careening through a blackmail-and-infidelity plot. The cast is top notch, but the directors seem so little invested, they might as well be on autopilot.

The surge in Iraq is one of the issues that divides the presidential candidates, but Bob Woodward's new book, The War Within, reveals that it also divided the Bush administration and the military.

Lost creator J.J. Abrams discusses his latest television show, Fringe. The show, which Abrams describes as having a "a slight 'Twilight Zone' vibe," focuses on the unnatural occurrences in the world of a brilliant but mentally-unstable research scientist.

The New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick joins us from the Republican Convention in Minneapolis. Kirkpatrick is the author of a series of articles profiling John McCain. He covered the conservative Christian movement during the 2004 election.

In One Party Country, journalists Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten explain what they call "The Republican plan for dominance in the 21st century." The Republicans, they argue, are "firmly in the lead when it comes to the science and strategy of attaining power — and keeping it."

Eight years ago, John McCain and George Bush faced off in a bitter battle for the Republican slot on the 2000 presidential ballot. Now, the two former rivals cross paths again, this time sharing what journalist Peter Baker describes as an unlikely and uneasy "mutual dependence."

Journalist Steve Coll discusses "The General's Dilemma," his profile of General David Petraeus, which appears in the Sept. 8, 2008 issue The New Yorker.

TV critic David Bianculli considers the impact of the FX drama series The Shield, which begins its seventh and final season.

Political scientist and author runs the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Politics at UCLA; he talks to Terry Gross about how Barack Obama's campaign is addressing issues touching on race and ethnicity.

When Sen. Hillary Clinton conceded defeat in the Democratic presidential primary in June, she thanked her supporters for making "18 million cracks" in the glass ceiling. Political columnist Katha Pollitt discusses the historical significance of Clinton's presidential bid.

Journalist Joshua Green discusses the activities at the Democratic National Convention. Green is a senior editor at The Atlantic. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire and Rolling Stone.

In his latest movie, Traitor, Don Cheadle plays a CIA operative who goes undercover to work with a terrorist group — but then becomes a suspected terrorist himself.

Political scientist James Thurber discusses the role of lobbyists in the McCain and Obama campaigns. An expert in campaign conduct and lobbying, Thurber testified before Congress about lobby reform and advised both candidates on the 2007 lobbying reform bill.

While both John McCain and Barack Obama agree that the American health care system needs reform, the candidates differ markedly in their vision of the remedy. Political scientist Jonathan Oberlander offers an in-depth comparison of the candidates' proposals.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama are courting the religious vote, but whose campaign will be more effective? Journalist Dan Gilgoff, the politics editor for Beliefnet.com, discusses the candidates' tactics.

Journalist Ryan Lizza says it's no accident that the Democrats picked Denver as the site of their National Convention. Lizza discusses the strategy among party officials to make inroads in the West rather than the South.

Marlin Fitzwater spent 17 years as a government employee before being appointed White House press secretary under Ronald Reagan. He also worked for George H. W. Bush.

Russia and Georgia have signed a cease-fire, but the conflict continues. Journalist James Traub, author of The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did), discusses the latest developments.

There are 100,000 private military contractors in Iraq. Mercenary John Geddes explains why he thinks this is a good thing. His new book Highway to Hell is an account of his experiences in Iraq as a soldier for hire.