Published March 20, 2026
Global leadership ultimately depends on internal cohesion. In this Q&A section, Stephen Kotkin argues that social media, not foreign rivals, now poses the most serious test for open societies—raising urgent questions about trust, legitimacy, and the future of democratic self-government.
Check out more from Stephen Kotkin:
Learn more about Stephen Kotkin here.
Recorded on August 14, 2025.
__________
The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
Stephen Kotkin
Articles
Many people have appropriately criticized President Trump’s promise to give $5,000 to every American adult if the voters elect enough Senators and House members to keep Republican control of each chamber.
September 18, 2026
Articles
Far-right nationalist populist parties are making the running everywhere from Washington to Warsaw. So why be so alarmed about a little regional electoral victory for one such party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), in one federal state, Saxony-Anhalt? “Because it’s Germany!” is the almost instinctive answer in many heads around the world.
September 19, 2026
Articles
I chaired Britain’s All-Party-Parliamentary Commission Report on the October 7 massacres, which detailed each of the 1,182 deaths that took place that day. It became very clear to me while doing that, and also while visiting kibbutzim and the Nova Festival site in southern Israel, that Hamas had very deliberately fostered the sheer frenzy that was seen during its 48-hour-long killing spree on October 7 and 8, 2023.
September 20, 2026
