Then & Now
Then & Now connects past to present, using historical analysis and context to help guide us through modern issues and policy decisions. Then & Now is brought to you by the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. This podcast is produced by David Myers and Roselyn Campbell, and features original music by Daniel Raijman.
Episodes
137 episodes
Mexico's Dirty War and the Struggle for Accountability: A Conversation with Carlos Pérez Ricart.
In this week’s episode of then & now, guest host Professor Fernando Pérez-Montesinos is joined by Carlos Pérez Ricart, Assistant Professor in International Relations at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) in Mexico...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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47:29
Why History Matters: L.A. Wildfires Past, Present, and Future
In this week’s episode of then & now, we present a recording of a recent panel discussion focusing on L.A. wildfires past, present, and future. This program is part of the “Why History Matters” series presented by the UCLA Meyer an...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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1:07:50
Are There Limits to Presidential Power? A Conversation about the Unitary Executive Theory with John Mikhail.
In this week’s episode of then & now, we are joined by John Mikhail, Carroll Professor of Jurisprudence at Georgetown University Law Center, for a deep dive into the controversial theory of the unitary executive. Rooted in the Cons...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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44:40
Donald Trump’s Uses (and Abuses) of History: A Conversation with Bruce Schulman.
This week’s episode of then & now is part of an occasional series exploring the past, present, and future of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S.-led international order. Guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is joined by Bruce Schulman, Prof...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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31:23
Preservation amidst Devastation: Salvaging Historic Tiles after the Los Angeles Wildfires. A Conversation with Conservator Amy Green.
This week’s episode of then & now is part of a series co-sponsored by the L.A. History Collaborative, in which we explore the impact of the catastrophic wildfires that affected Los Angeles in early 2025. We are joined by Amy Green,...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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35:28
Why History Matters in an Age of Polycrisis
In this week’s episode of then & now, we present a recording of a recent event co-sponsored by the Wende Museum and the Luskin Center for History and Policy. This event launched the Meyer and Renee Luskin Public History Program at ...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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1:03:43
Indigenous Fire Stewardship and Ecological Resilience: A Conversation with Daisy Ocampo Diaz.
This week’s episode of then & now is part of a series co-sponsored by the L.A. History Collaborative, in which we examine the effects of the devastating Los Angeles Wildfires in early 2025. Dr. Daisy Ocampo Diaz joins LCHP Assistan...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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42:38
Reconstructing German-Jewish Cultural Heritage after the Los Angeles Wildfires: A Conversation with E. Randol Schoenberg.
This week’s episode of then & now is part of a series examining the effects of one of the most powerful and destructive natural disasters in U.S. history: the Los Angeles Wildfires. Co-sponsored by the L.A. History Collaborative— a...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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42:06
Trump 2.0 and the Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy: A Conversation with Stephen Wertheim.
This week’s episode of then & now is part of an occasional series exploring the past, present, and future of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S.-led international order with guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic. Joined by Dr. Stephen Werthe...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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36:12
Europe Without Borders: The Rise and Partial Fall of the Schengen Zone. A Conversation with Isaac Stanley-Becker.
In this week’s episode of then & now, we are joined by Dr. Isaac Stanley-Becker, a reporter on intelligence and national security issues for The Washington Post, to examine the rise and partial fall of the Schengen Zone am...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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40:44
The Los Angeles Wildfires in the Age of the Pyrocene: A Conversation with Fire Scholar Stephen Pyne.
This week’s episode of then & now is the first in a series examining one of the most powerful and destructive natural disasters in U.S. history, the Los Angeles wildfires. Joined by Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University St...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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46:22
Domestic Violence, Title IX, and the Stories We Don’t Tell: A Conversation with Joy Neumeyer
**Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual and domestic violence.In this week’s episode of then & now, guest host Professor Jared McBride is joined by Dr. Joy Neumeyer to discuss her recent book, ...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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55:17
The Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A Conversation with Shannon Speed
**Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual and domestic violence. In this week’s episode of then & now, LCHP Assistant Director Dr. Rose Campbell is joined by Dr. Shannon Speed to discuss systemi...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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31:22
Continuity and Change: The Fairfax District and What it Tells us about LA. A Conversation with Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella Kitt
In this week’s episode of then & now, UCLA undergraduates Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella Kitt join us to discuss the results of their
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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41:05
Unpacking the 2024 Election: Trendlines and Developments in California Politics. A Conversation with Raphael Sonenshein and Zev Yaroslavsky
This week’s episode of then & now is the second in a series exploring the historical backdrop to and consequences of the 2024 election. Joining us are Raphael Sonenshein, a nationally recognized expert on racial and ethnic politics...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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52:20
Unpacking the 2024 Election: Trends, Tensions, and Transformations. A Conversation with Lynn Vavreck
In this week’s episode of then & now, we explore the 2024 presidential election and try to understand the enduring impact of a political realignment that began with Donald Trump’s rise in 2016. Joining us is Professor Lynn Vavreck,...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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45:42
Why History Matters: Reproductive Rights and Justice
In this week’s episode of then & now, we present a recording of a recent event hosted by the UCLA History Department, "Why History Matters: Reproductive Rights and Justice." This event brought together experts to explore the far-re...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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1:20:35
Reproductive Justice on the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Conversation With Lina-Maria Murillo
In this week’s episode of then & now, we delve into the complex history of reproductive justice in El Paso, Texas, a key city along the U.S.-Mexico border that has shaped broader conversations around race, health, and community car...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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41:49
Reproductive Healthcare, Religion, and Inequality in Brazil and Beyond: A Conversation with Cassia Roth
The topic of reproductive healthcare and access to abortion has emerged as a pivotal point in the weeks and months leading up to the 2024 presidential election in the U.S. In this week's episode of then & now, our guest interviewer...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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40:26
How Mathematics Shaped the Great Grid of America: A Conversation with Amir Alexander
Welcome back to then & now! To kick off our 5th season, we are joined by Professor Amir Alexander, a historian of mathematics in UCLA’s Luskin Department of History. His latest book, Liberty’s Grid, exami...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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41:40
From AMLO to Claudia: Mexico Elects a Woman President: A Conversation with Leila Miller
In this week's episode of then & now we explore a landmark moment in Mexican politics: the election of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo as the country's first female president at the beginning of June 2024. Environmental scientist Sheinbaum...
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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33:00
Under the Heat Dome: A Conversation about Thermal Inequality with Bharat Venkat
2023 marked the hottest year recorded in human history, with predictions indicating a worsening global trend. In early June 2024, southern California experienced an extreme heat dome, with temperatures rising into the triple digits. Currently, ...
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Season 4
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Episode 18
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51:16
Land, Endowments, and Ethics: Unpacking the Historical Legacy of UC Real Estate Investments. A Conversation with Samuel Feldblum, John Schmidt, and Abbie Cohen
Recent campus protests have focused new attention on university investment policies. The call for greater transparency and divestment from Israel has led to questions about the growth and composition of large university endowments, includ...
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Season 4
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Episode 17
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49:16
Answering Your Questions About Gaza: A Dialogue with UCLA Historians
In this episode of then & now, we present the recording of an event held at UCLA on May 13, 2024. This event, sponsored by the UCLA History Department, featured a conversation between UCLA Professors David Myers and James Gelvin ab...
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Season 4
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Episode 16
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1:24:40
Free Speech and Academic Freedom in the University: A Conversation with Michael Meranze
As the war in Gaza rages on, discussions surrounding free speech and the right to protest have surged across the United States, particularly on college campuses. When a pro-Palestine encampment at Columbia University was raided by police, leadi...
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Season 4
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Episode 15
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50:55