Michael McFaul moves out of the host seat to let Professor Jim Goldgeier interview him about his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats, which traces the evolution of great power competition between China, Russia, and the United States, and offers strategies for how America can remain competitive in a new era of geopolitics.

Larry Diamond joins host Michael McFaul to discuss how civic discourse and political institutions are holding up in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and other democracies after the "Year of Elections."

Sanctions are the go-to tool for imposing costs on bad actors on the global stage. But what happens when the sanctions cause humanitarian crises? Ruth Gibson joins World Class to discuss the latest research into how sanctions impact child and maternal mortality, and the stability of the global order as a whole.

The escalation between India and Pakistan over the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir is revealing important insights into India's evolving defense posture and military capabilities. Arzan Tarapore joins Michael McFaul to discuss what happened, what the clash says about the security landscape of the Indo-Pacific region, and why it matters in global politics.

Unclear negotiations over the war in Ukraine; uncertainty about the unity of NATO; increased transatlantic mistrust. Jim Goldgeier joins Michael McFaul to discuss the growing divide in U.S.-European relations, what's causing it, and what it means for the future of security on both sides of the Atlantic.

People are fed up with political parties, and that's a big problem for democracy, says Didi Kuo. She joins Michael McFaul to discuss why we need well-functioning parties, how we got the party system we have today, and what can be done to course correct.

Three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains a sovereign democracy. But changes in the U.S. and shifts in the international security landscape could drastically impact the trajectory of the war and Ukraine's future. Former ambassador Steven Pifer joins Michael McFaul to discuss what's been happening and how it may affect Kyiv, Europe, and the world order more broadly.

China is rapidly gaining influence and power on the global stage, and if the United States wants to stay ahead, Oriana Skylar Mastro says we need to fundamentally rethink our understanding of how Beijing is competing and the strategies America can use to counter an "upstart" great power.

Former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza joins Michael McFaul to discuss why he believes the long-term stability of Europe depends on the existence of a free, fair, and democratic Russia, and what can be done now to start preparing for that future.

Audra Plepytė, Lithuania's Ambassador to the United States, shares her views on Ukraine's struggle against Russia from the perspective of Lithuania, another former Soviet state, and explains why preserving Ukraine's sovereignty is crucial for maintaining stability and security in the international order.

Climate change, Russia and Ukraine, China, the Middle East, global democracy: how are we doing on some of the biggest challenges facing the world today? Michael McFaul talks to a panel of experts to assess what progress has been made and what more can be done to tackle these issues.

Ambassador Susan Rice shares some of the lessons she's learned about perseverance and humility during her long career in government and policy making.

Estonia's Ambassador to the U.S. Kistjan Prikk joins Michael McFaul to discuss his country's view on Russia's military, Putin's nuclear threats, and the long-term impact the war in Ukraine will have on European security.

Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, joins Michael McFaul to discuss how the European Union, United States, and their allies can better cooperate on pressing global issues like the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, competition with China, and rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats.

A world that is not safe for some is a world not safe for anyone. On this episode, Michael McFaul brings you remarks from Oleksandra Matviichuk, an accomplished human rights lawyer, who explains what's at stake if democracies fail to stand by their values and win wars against autocracies.

The historically low voter turnout at Iran's recent parliamentary elections is a warning to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that the public is not content with the regime's oppressive status quo, says Dr. Abbas Milani. He joins Michael McFaul on World Class to discuss the implications of the growing dissent and how it might shape Iran's domestic and international politics.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Two years later, Ukrainians are still valiantly fighting to preserve their rights to freedom, democracy, and self-determination. To commemorate this tragic milestone, World Class host Michael McFaul is joined by four Ukrainian civic and governmental leaders from Kyiv to share their experiences of how the war continues to impact daily life in Ukraine, and to give their perspectives on what Russia’s aggression means both for Ukraine's future and the vitality of the global democratic order. This audio is adapted from an event originally hosted on February 23, 2024 by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

When Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn set off to make a documentary about Ukraine, he thought he would be telling the story of a comedic showman-turned president named Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the young democracy that had elected him. Instead, Penn found himself witnessing the start of a horrific war of aggression. Sean Penn joined Michael McFaul at Stanford University for a special screening of "Superpower," a film co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman about the days leading up to and immediately following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During their discussion, Penn shares what it was like to be an accidental witness to history, and the inspiration he continues to take from President Zelenskyy, Ukrainians, and their fight for freedom. Natalia Antelava, editor-in-chief of Coda Story and a John S. Knight Journalism fellow at Stanford, moderates the conversation.

To understand why the conflict in Gaza is so complex, you have to understand the history of Israel's relationship with Palestine and Hamas well before October 7, 2023. In this episode of World Class, we bring you a conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari, two experts on the Middle East, who help contextualize the current situation in Gaza, offer a framework for how to understand the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and share their thoughts on what it will take to bring stability to the region. Their discussion is moderated by Janine Zacharia, a lecturer in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. Ghaith al-Omari, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship, is the former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. He served as advisor to the negotiating team during the 1999–2001 permanent-status talks in addition to holding various other positions within the Palestinian Authority.

Conflict between Hamas and Israel; the ongoing war in Ukraine; rising tensions between China and Taiwan; climate change; dissatisfaction with national politics. These are some of the most pressing challenges facing the world today. What do we need to understand better about these issues, and what can be done to address them? On this episode of World Class, host Michael McFaul brings you a conversation with four scholars from the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies held during Stanford University's 2023 Reunion and Homecoming. Together they unpack what's at stake, how these challenges are related, and offer policy recommendations for how to solve them. Featuring: Michael McFaul, Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science; the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Marshall Burke, Deputy Director at the Center on Food Security and the Environment; an associate professor in the Doerr School of Sustainability, and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Larry Diamond, the Mosbacher Senior Fellow of Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; the William L. Clayton Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and a professor, by courtesy, of sociology and of political science. Didi Kuo, Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and associate director for research at its Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Amichai Magen, the inaugural Visiting Fellow in Israel Studies at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; In Israel, a senior lecturer (U.S. associate professor), head of the MA Program in Diplomacy & Conflict Studies, and director of the Program on Democratic Resilience and Development (PDRD) at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, Reichman University.