Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Abhishek Kadiyala is in conversation with Brigadier Anil Raman (Retd.) to discuss emerging signs of democratic backsliding in the United States. The Second Trump administration’s approach to the top military brass, their legally contested deployments of National Guard and ICE become an important symptom of this backsliding. President Trump’s close ally and Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth’s recent address to military leaders at Quantico, followed by the dismissal and resignation of several senior officials, has underscored tensions between the White House and the military establishment. Simultaneously, the deployment of National Guard troops to curb crime in key Democrat-run cities has been criticised as a politically motivated use of presidential authority. The administration has also expanded the mandate of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency—through increased funding, manpower, and widened operational targets—to advance its hardline immigration agenda. Together, these developments point to a broader erosion of institutional autonomy and deepening concerns over democratic backsliding in the United States.
All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.
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