America Explained

America Explained is a newsletter from Andrew Gawthorpe, an academic expert on U.S. politics and foreign policy and experienced media commentator. It’s a deep dive into Americana, focusing on U.S. politics, foreign policy and history - and the way they all tie together. The best way to see if you’d like it is to check out some articles, like these:

The Trump administration

• Why DOGE failed

• J.D. Vance and the New MAGA Catholicism

• Trump’s deportations have echoes of slavery

• Donald Trump, 9/11, and the rise of Military MAGA

• Trump’s tariffs blow the Republican coalition in two

Tech and politics

• The AI guys meet national security

• My fears about the MAGA-Silicon Valley alliance

• Effective altruism and Donald Trump - the case against

• China hawks vs. the energy transition

U.S. foreign policy

• Iran, Ukraine, and American “credibility”

• No, don’t bring back the Monroe Doctrine

• 9/11 didn’t change everything

• No, America shouldn’t invade Mexico

Historical deep dives

• Remembering America’s worst immigration law

• Why American third parties fail - or succeed

• America once had a dictator. Could it again?

• What’s the point of party conventions?

If you like what you see, please subscribe - and receive several new articles a week. And if you become a paid subscriber, you get:

• Additional paywalled posts.

• Access to the complete archive.

• The ability to start chat threads and ask me questions whenever you like.