Great Power Podcast

Ilan Berman runs the American Foreign Policy Council, a Washington think tank that has been around since 1982, and this podcast is essentially a window into the conversations happening inside the Beltway about great power competition. The premise is right there in the name: how should America position itself when major powers are jostling for influence in ways we have not seen in decades? Berman hosts biweekly episodes that typically run 30 to 35 minutes, and he brings on a steady rotation of foreign policy experts, policymakers, and journalists. With 61 episodes and a 4.7-star rating from 33 reviews, it is a smaller show than some on this list, but the quality of guests punches above that number. Recent conversations have featured Jonathan Schanzer from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Iran, Randy Schriver on U.S.-China security dynamics, and Dana Stroul from the Washington Institute on Syria. The show covers a wide geographic range -- Chinese IP theft, Arctic competition, the AI arms race, Indian strategic ambitions, African development politics, Venezuela -- but always through the lens of American strategic interests. Berman asks direct questions and lets his guests develop their arguments without interruption, which makes for substantive listening even when the topic is familiar. One thing to note: the American Foreign Policy Council leans hawkish on defense issues, and that perspective comes through in the guest selection and framing. If you want a range of viewpoints in your podcast diet, pair this with something from a different analytical tradition. But for understanding how the defense and foreign policy establishment in Washington is thinking about competition with China, Russia, and regional powers, the show gives you a clear and unfiltered signal.