History Is Relevant
This podcast links the past to the present. The programs seek new perspectives on current events by examining the history that brought us to where we are today. The host, Robert Brent Toplin, is a university-based professor of history. He has published a dozen books and more than 200 articles, and he has commented on history, politics, and film in several nationally broadcast television and radio programs.
Podcasting since 2025 • 11 episodes
History Is Relevant
Latest Episodes
Surprising Lessons From America's War in Afghanistan
When a refugee from Afghanistan allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington D.C., discussions about the tragedy invoked memories of America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan in 2021. Partisans invoked different lessons when describing tha...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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20:00
How a Battle Over President Reagan’s Nominee for the Supreme Court Weaponized Political Warfare
American Society is now deeply split along ideological and cultural lines. When did this polarization intensify?One among several key turning points occurred in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork for a s...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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15:31
Why Movies About Nuclear Warfare Matter
Can Netflix’s recent film, The House of Dynamite and other movies like it influence public opinion regarding nuclear warfare? The historical record from the 1950s until recent times shows that sometimes this cinema does have an ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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23:25
The Record of Joseph McCarthy's Rise and Decline Might Offer Clues About Donald Trump's Future
Public opinion polls show President Trump’s approval rating has slipped substantially since his second inauguration. Do those results indicate vulnerability? If the trend line continues, could President Trump begin to lose his grip on the reins...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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17:34
Watergate: Four Key Lessons for Our Times
This podcast discusses the significance of four important aspects of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and it considers the relevance of that history to politics in our times.First...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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20:41