podcast

Tocqueville Road Trip: 2. Against all obstacles

13.06.2026
Listen to the episode on your favorite platforms:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Castbox
  • Pocket Casts
  • Stitcher
  • iHeart
  • PlayerFM
  • Overcast
  • Castro
  • RadioPublic

Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a group of maximum security prisoners in Sing Sing offer a vision of how to get back on track?


Guests and Hosts

  • John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor
  • Sean Pica, executive director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison 
  • Jean Frantz, prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility 

Topics 

  • Alexis de Tocqueville’s views on voluntary associations
  • Sing Sing prison education programme
  • Prisoners’ views on the American dream 

To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.