This blog post is part of AEI’s Best Podcasts of 2019 series. Click here to see other AEI podcast hosts’ favorite episodes of the year.

Banter has been around since before we were born. Well, not quite, but now through almost 400 episodes, Banter is the American Enterprise Institute’s longest-running podcast, and as hosts we are but the latest inheritors of a grand AEI tradition. Each week, we release commute-length interviews with the most interesting experts from AEI and beyond. We talk about policy, politics, foreign affairs, and culture with journalists, politicians, scholars, and academics — always in a way that’s both accessible and engaging for our audience. Below are a few of our favorite conversations from 2019.

1. Speaker
Paul Ryan on capitalism, socialism, millennials, and more — December 16th,
Ep. #393

The former
Speaker of the House joined us to discuss a question that will loom over
American politics for years to come: Why do so many millennials prefer statist
economic policies to free-market ones, and how can conservatives persuade them
otherwise?

2. On the front lines of the Islamic State, with Mike Giglio — November 14th, Ep. #388

We tend not to leave our air-conditioned studio, but our conversation with Mike Giglio of The Atlantic left us feeling like we were in the heart of Mosul. He joined us to discuss his new book, Shatter the Nations: ISIS and the War for the Caliphate, based on in-depth reporting with protagonists on all sides of the conflict.

3. Andrew Sullivan on Trump’s presidency, Boris Johnson’s achievement, religious liberty laws, and more — December 23rd, Ep. #394

Typical
“Banter” interviews last around 25 minutes, but when Andrew Sullivan sits down,
pours himself a glass of Jager, and says he needs at least an hour, you settle
in for a long conversation, and you don’t regret it. We cover a lot of ground
with the Harvard PhD former blogger, from his college friendship with Boris
Johnson, to his involvement in the gay rights movement, through his views of
the Obama and Trump presidencies.

4. George F. Will on ‘The Conservative Sensibility’ — June 12th, Ep. #367

In a meeting with her fellow Tory ministers, Margaret Thatcher once pulled F. A. Hayek’s “The Constitution of Liberty” out of her handbag, slammed it on the table, and pronounced, “This is what we believe.” George Will hopes some future Republican leader will one day do the same with his magnum opus, The Conservative Sensibility, which he joined this episode to discuss.

5. The global challenges facing America: A conversation with Paul Wolfowitz — October 17th, Ep. #384

The former ambassador, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and president of the World Bank Paul Wolfowitz joined the show for a far-reaching conversation on the major foreign policy challenges facing the United States today. Few in this city possess as much experience or perspective on international affairs as Amb. Wolfowitz, and this episode is rife with insights on the threat posed by China, developments in the Middle East, and the appeal of democratic capitalism to developing countries worldwide.

The post Top 5 podcasts of 2019: “Banter” with Matt Winesett, Max Frost, and Max Towey appeared first on American Enterprise Institute – AEI.