Politics on the Couch
Rafael Behr examines how our minds respond to politics and how politicians mess with our minds.
In each episode an expert from the world of politics, psychology, history or philosophy joins Raf on our 'couch' to discuss what's driving our political thought and behaviour.
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'System Fail' - a conversation with Sam Freedman about the way Britain's broken politics can suffocate even the best intentions.
‘The gen Z revolution’ - how a student protest toppled a corrupt and violent government
Is this what hope feels like? Rafael Behr's reflections on Labour's 2024 victory
Going Ape - a conversation about evolution, morality and political cooperation
Doom audit - a conversation with Jonathan Freedland about America, Israel, liberal angst and the unravelling West
Moving the needle - Tom Gray of Gomez on swapping the recording studio for the campaign trail, and what being in a band teaches you about politics.
'Bonus Couch Chat'
'Beyond the Red Wall'
'Beyond parody' - a conversation with Rob Hutton about political journalism and its complex relationship with power
Trapped! Democracy's struggle to cope with modern life and what we can do to help – a conversation with Professor Ben Ansell.
Kindness - a conversation about political empathy, its power and its limits, with Claudia Hammond
Contrarianism, social media and the future of culture wars - a conversation with Atlantic writer Helen Lewis
Populism, democracy and the parliamentary battle over Brexit
Party People - a stroll around the grassroots of democracy
The French Connection - myth and misunderstanding across the Channel
'The world's a stage' - politics and storytelling with James Graham
Procrastination - the politics of putting off hard choices and why it's so bad for democracy
'Putinophilia' - how America's radical right fell for a Kremlin strongman, a conversation with Anne Applebaum
'Bregret' - how is Britain coping with a Brexit that nobody loves?
Consciousness - a deep dive into the politics of brain science with Anil Seth
The authoritarian personality - why some voters feel drawn to populism and how to lure them away
The authenticity gap - can Labour seize the post-Boris moment? (recorded the day he resigned)
The Megacrisis - how the world's problems piled up - a conversation with Helen Thompson
Is Democracy Rational? A conversation with Steven Pinker
Order and chaos - why the left keeps losing
Empire State of Mind, with Sathnam Sanghera
Radicalisation - how minds go to extremes, and how to turn them back
Fear of Change - Matt d'Ancona on fixing a broken politics
Optimism - how we're drawn to the bright side, even in a pandemic
Identity – David Baddiel on Jewishness, antisemitism (and a bit about football)
Anti-vaxxers – fear, anxiety and the psychology of misinformation
Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021: What happens next?
'Dissonance Theory' – why no-one says they were wrong
Nostalgia - canvassing the politics of memory lane
The Madness of King Don - a journey to the dark side of charisma, with Drew Westen
Election Anxiety - Trump, the media and fear for American democracy
The Political Animal - a breed apart?
Brexit and the revolutionary mentality, with Fintan O'Toole
Truth, lies and statistics - Rafael Behr meets Tim Harford
Farewell to normal?
We can log out but can we ever leave? Helen Lewis talks about the trouble with Twitter
Trust in the Time of Coronavirus
Has Cummings cut through - in all the wrong ways?
How does it feel ? In conversation with Parliament's only politician and psychotherapist