Chalkboard Politics is a student-produced and student-hosted podcast that aims to connect concepts that students encounter in the classroom with real-world political events and to show how these concepts, which can sometimes feel abstract or inaccessible, help us make sense of the world. Building on the Saltzman Student Scholars program at the Saltzman Institute, the podcast reflects a broader vision: one in which students are not just consumers of knowledge, but active producers, working alongside faculty to bridge the gap between academic frameworks and real-world questions of war, peace, and international politics.
For each episode, our student-producers choose the topic, the guests, and the questions with the support of Saltzman Institute Director Elizabeth Saunders. The podcast will feature curated conversations with Institute faculty and invited guests (from Columbia and beyond) across topics of interest to the Saltzman community. It will also seek to make connections across expertise and subjects that are not often in conversation. Topics will be guided by student-submitted questions, recorded live or pre-produced with broader community input.
Chalkboard Politics is produced by the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, in partnership with Good Authority. It is made possible with the support of Columbia’s Department of Political Science and the School of International and Public Affairs.
Contact the Chalkboard Politics Team: If you have any comments or questions about Chalkboard Politics, or ideas for future segments, please email us at chalkboardpolitics@columbia.edu.
Chalkboard Politics Editorial Team:
- Ayaan Ali, Producer
- Paul Audoin, Technical Producer
- Rose Cole, Producer
- Gulnaz Bibi, Producer
- Cassidy Murray, Producer
- Zara Williamson, Lead Producer
Original music written and recorded by Ingrid Gerstmann, Assistant Director of the Saltzman Institute, and John Austria.
Episode Library:
Episode 1: What just happened in Venezuela?
In this episode of Chalkboard Politics, students sit down with Professors Eduardo Moncada, Sarah Daly, and Elizabeth Saunders to unpack how concepts like narco-terrorism, criminal governance, and credible commitment have, and continue to, shape U.S. policy toward Venezuela. Drawing on the legacy of the War on Drugs, the conversation challenges the argument that militarized intervention or leadership removal can dismantle illicit economies. Instead, our guests explore the relevance and role of patronage systems, the “balloon effect,” and the political incentives behind spectacular uses of force, while asking what all of this means for Venezuelan citizens, democracy, and regional sovereignty, and whether the Trump administration can actually get what it wants. Release Date: January 20, 2026.
