Chinese leaders are keen to project their country’s military and economic power on the global stage. As part of that playbook, our guest says, they have been recalling — rather selectively — the story of China’s involvement in the Second World War.

Our friend Steve Parks returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation with Emily and Siva about the aesthetics of social movements. And we unveil our plans for a new segment featuring pro-democracy activists from around the world.

There’s no question the U.S. Constitution was, in its original form, a proslavery compromise. But for many — including early African-American activists — the country’s founding principles planted the seeds of the freedom movement. A Civil War historian discusses America’s political fault lines in the 19th century and how they resonate today.

Fraught as it is, democracy is still America’s best bet for a good society, says author and legal scholar Jed Purdy. But that means people need to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the messy business of politics: to become framers themselves.

It’s a perfect storm: gerrymandering, the collapse of independent media and the pressure tactics of interest groups are reshaping the legal landscape in America, state by state. Ohio writer David Pepper unpacks this nefarious game plan.

A native New Yorker, Spencer Ackerman watched with horror as the Twin Towers fell in September 2001. At first, he fed on the popular rhetoric of vengeance and unity in the war on terror. Then he became a journalist and covered the conflicts that came — and decided he had swallowed a fantasy pill.

Remember Silvio Berlusconi? Sex scandals, shady deals and a cult-like following marked the Italian prime minister’s time in office. NYU historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat breaks down a political playbook with a long history and continued appeal.