Advertise on podcast: Politics on the Couch

Rafael Behr talks to behavioural scientist Dr Michael Hallsworth about his new book, “The Hypocrisy Trap: How Changing What We Criticise Can Improve Our Lives.” They discuss: How the concept of hypocrisy first emerged as part of an evolutionary status game; How calling others out can be more powerful than proclaiming our own virtue; Why we might tolerate some ‘polite’ hypocrisy at home but not in Westminster;How hypocrisy is an inescapable part of any ‘civilisation, according to Sigmund Freud;Should we be more discerning in the types we call out, but much tougher on the ‘double standards’ hypocrisy that corrodes trust, fairness and the basic promise that citizens stand equal before the law? Dr Michael Hallsworth is Chief Behavioural Scientist at the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) in the Americas, where he applies behavioural science to policy, organisational design and real‑world behavioural change. He describes himself as someone “helping people apply behavioural science to real‑world problems.”  At BIT, Michael has led numerous projects spanning government and private sector domains, bridging rigorous academic research with operational behavioural insight.  More information about Dr Michael Hallsworth and his new book: https://www.michaelhallsworth.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics feels angrier, harsher and more tribal than it used to - but how much of the blame can be laid at the door of social media? Rafael Behr talks to NYU Psychologist Professor Jay Van Bavel, about how our ancient group instincts collide with 'god-like' digital technology to distort what we see, reward outrage, and erode trust in democratic institutions.  Drawing on datasets of millions of social media posts, Professor Van Bavel discusses how; a tiny minority can dominate the online political conversation; platforms can make people seem more extreme, and silence the moderate voices. He also discusses what can be done about it; from redesigning incentives and rebuilding solidarity across group lines; to the small, practical choices individuals can make to resist the pull of performative moral outrage. Jay Van Bavel's professional website - with links to academic papers https://www.jayvanbavel.com Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X24001313 How to strengthen democracy https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/08/how-to-strengthen-democracy Heineken Advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3a8MdloAAM&themeRefresh=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Dr. Tessa Buchanan, a former civil servant and now an academic at Cambridge’s Political Psychology Lab, about the psychology behind changing how some voters think about outsiders or immigrants, revealing why she believes attitudes aren’t always as fixed or hostile as they may seem. From the media’s obsession with “small boats” to conflicting anxieties about national identity, Rafael and Tessa discuss how easy is it to move public opinion, and so public policy, on a topic that has dominated political debate in the UK, EU and US for almost a decade. Links to topics mentioned in the podcast How an authoritarianism-compatible text changes British attitudes towards EU immigration Study from Cambridge University Political Psychology Lab 2019 YouGov survey looking at EU immigration 2024 US survey pre-Presidential election Cambridge University Political Psychology Lab Podcasts mentioned Rafael Behr and Karen Stenner https://shows.acast.com/politicsonthecouch/episodes/theauthoritatianpersonalitywithkarenstenner Rafael Behr and Dr Lee de-Wit https://shows.acast.com/politicsonthecouch/episodes/theleftstroublewithconnectingwithsocialonservatives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Demos' CEO Polly Curtis about the urgent case for upgrading our democracy and repairing the broken relationship between citizen and state. The conversation is loosely based around this new Demos paper released today (2 July) that sets out the challenges of the global democratic emergency, how this is threatening the political landscape in Britain and what we can do about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr is joined by political scientist Prof. Michael Bang Petersen, whose research challenges the common belief that those who share misinformation are simply uninformed or gullible. Instead, Petersen suggest that many of these individuals are politically savvy and highly motivated, not by truth, but by the usefulness of information in advancing their political goals. The conversation also explores the concept of the "need for chaos": a psychological drive found in a significant minority who actively seek to destabilise political systems, not just support one side over another. Petersen also talks how status anxiety, feeling stuck or left behind in a rigid social hierarchy, fuels this destructive impulse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation between Rafael Behr and writer and broadcaster David Aaronovitch, about ripples from the pandemic that still shape politics, with a digression on the ways that Britain is not America and whether that makes 'Maga-populism' less contagious. Links David Aaronovitch's substack - https://davidaaronovitch.substack.com BBC's Briefing Room presented by David Aaronovitch - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002bj77 This is a Behr and Berman podcast production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An anniversary episode in which host Rafael Behr and producer Philip Berman look back over a tumultuous time and ponder what they have learned from putting politics on the couch. Links to Politics on the Couch episodes discussed in this podcast Anti-vaxxers – fear, anxiety and the psychology of misinformation The authoritarian personality - why some voters feel drawn to populism and how to lure them away  The Madness of King Don - a journey to the dark side of charisma, with Drew Westen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To coincide with the launch of her new book (The Ideological Brain - A Radical Science of Susceptible Minds) Rafael Behr talks to Dr Leor Zmigrod, a political psychologist and neuroscientist, about the ingredients of dogmatic thinking, why some of us are more prone than others, and how we can protect ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Paula Surridge Professor of Political Sociology about the fragmentation of support for the two big parties since Brexit, what's causing it and what it means for parties trying to maintain their voter coalitions. Questions also covered: What drives support for Reform UK, and how vulnerable is their voter base?Are the Liberal Democrats benefiting from tactical voting, and can they sustain their recent gains?Why the Conservative Party faces so many difficulties in defining its identity?How are changing media consumption habits and voter expectations reshaping political engagement? The discussion also touches on the impact of non-voters and the potential for electoral reform to become a more prominent issue. This is a Rafael Behr and Philip Berman production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Rafael Behr talks to author, policy expert and podcaster Sam Freedman about his new book Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It Sam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and an Ark Schools adviser. He writes about policy and politics for numerous outlets, including the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. With his father, he runs ‘Comment is Freed’, Britain’s most popular politics Substack. He has spent his career working in different policy-focused roles around Westminster, including as an adviser to the then opposition leader, David Cameron, and as a senior policy adviser at the Department for Education for three years, working with (friends of the podcast) Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. Feedspot has chosen Politics on the Couch as one of the Top 25 UK Psychology and Political Science Podcasts on the web. https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_psychology_podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/political_science_podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a week of protests, counter-protests and riots in the UK, 5000 miles away in Bangladesh student-led uprising led to 300 people being killed, the toppling of a corrupt PM and violent regime, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner being installed as head a new interim government.  In this edition, we're talking about the violent and momentous events in Bangladesh with award-winning British-born investigative journalist David Bergman, who has been following and reporting on the country for almost 30 years.  He's written widely about Bangladesh for The Daily Telegraph, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, and The Times.  Between 2004 and 2017, he lived in Bangladesh, writing for several Bangladeshi newspapers, including New Age, The Daily Star and bdnews24.com. He was forced to leave in 2017 due to his critical writing about government corruption and human rights violations. Since then, he’s lived in London and helped found Netra News, a media platform based in Sweden that published investigative news and analysis on Bangladesh He’s also won a Royal Television Society award for a documentary he worked on about the atrocities that took place during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence.  In the episode, David explains what happened there, what sparked it off, what’s next for the country, what we know about the next potential leader and the fascinating links between a new Labour Minister and the now deposed Bangladeshi PM and her party. Links mentioned in the podcast https://x.com/TheDavidBergman https://x.com/muktadirnewage https://x.com/nomhossain https://x.com/taqbirhuda https://www.facebook.com/shafiqul.alam.71216 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this summer bonus episode, Raf and (producer) Phil discuss the changing mood around British politics since Labour's election victory, the restoration of seriousness after years of triviality, why some people can't adapt, why others want to believe that Keir Starmer can deliver the change he has promised and whether they are right. Links to stuff mentioned in the podcast More in Common report Tony Judt's essay Reform came 2nd in 89 of the seats that Labour won. Lowest voter turnout for a General Election since universal suffrage began This is a Raf Behr and Larchmont Productions podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition host Rafael Behr talks to Nichola Raihani, Professor of Evolution and Behaviour in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. She's also the author of, 'The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World' Professor Raihani has unique insight into a problem that has appeared in various forms on this podcast over the years. It's a question of collective action, solidarity, and cooperation. What motivates people to form units of political organisation or cooperation? Tribes, parties, whole nations—what holds them together and what drives them apart? Why do some societies tend to be democratic and some go despotic? Is it an accident of history? Climate? Culture? Religion? Evolution. This is the fabric of politics, the very stuff societies are made of at the most fundamental level, and Professor Rehani shines an evolutionary light on it all. This podcast is produced by Philip Berman of Larchmont Productions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of October 7th and Trump's bid to become US President again, Rafael Behr sits down with fellow Guardian columnist and friend - Jonathan Freedland - to discuss the current state of geopolitics, liberal politics, Israel and Jewish identity. Events featuring Rafael Behr Shoreham, West Sussex, Wed 24 April An evening with Guardian columnist Rafael Behr and television producer Rob Burley in conversation with Ayesha Hazarika MBE, political commentator and broadcaster, and former special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband. More details Central London, Thursday 25th April What Everyone Knows About Britain* Except The British: Michael Peel in conversation with Rafael Behr More details J Freeland links Award-winning edition of Unholy podcast The latest edition of the Guardian's weekly US politics podcast Jonathan Freeland and Israeli author Amos Oz New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Behr talks to Tom Gray from Gomez about his bid to become a Brighton MP. Tom's had a hugely successful career in music with Gomez rocketing to fame in 1998, beating Pulp and Massive Attack, among others, to the Mercury Prize. More recently he launched the Broken Record campaign, calling for a fairer deal for musicians from streaming services, among other industry reforms. And now, having banged on the doors to demand political change from the outside, Tom wants to get on the inside. He's on the shortlist to be selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency That's the only seat in the country with a green MP right now, Caroline Lucas, although she's standing down at the next election. Raf asks Tom what makes someone want to swap what looks like the perfect job, recording and performing music for eager fans, for the grim, and potentially thankless life of a politician where I think it's safe to say the audiences are less than adoring. https://twitter.com/MrTomGray https://twitter.com/TG4Pavilion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.