The Looking Glass

The SAIS Review of International Affairs

Artificial Intelligence

Sudan

Civil War

Human Rights

AI Governance

AI Compliance

United States

Turkey

Cultural Heritage

Cybersecurity

National Security

United Nations

Rapid Support Forces

Sudanese Armed Forces

Sanctions

Economic Warfare

Diyarbakir

Kurdish Insurrection

Kurds

Venezuela

The Looking Glass is the premier international relations podcast by The SAIS Review of International Affairs with support from The Foreign Policy Institute. Showcasing fresh, policy-relevant perspectives from professional and student experts, The Looking Glass is dedicated to advancing the debate on leading contemporary issues in world affairs. *The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are... more

23 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	60	Founded	6 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	GovernmentPoliticsNews

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Ballots, Ousters, Repeat: Peru’s Political Cycle

Peru’s 2026 election season is occurring amid a deepening crisis of political legitimacy. Public confidence in Congress has collapsed to some of the lowest levels in the Western Hemisphere, and Peruvians increasingly doubt whether their institutions ... more

15 Apr 2026 • 30 min

A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

2026 is a decisive year for Latin American democracy, as democratic institutions across the region are being tested by public distrust and upcoming elections in Colombia, Peru and Brazil. This year, however, it happens under a very different backdrop... more

9 Apr 2026 • 26 min

Lessons from the FSO Safer

Welcome to the SAIS Review’s The Looking Glass Podcast. This episode is part of our collaborative series with the Politics of Disaster class at SAIS. We explore how crises unfold at the intersection of conflict, governance, and environmental risk. My... more

27 Jan 2026 • 33 min

Designing Healing Spaces

Welcome back everybody to the SAIS Review’s The Looking Glass Podcast. This is a collaborative mini-series between the Looking Glass and the Politics of Disaster course at SAIS. My name is Nicole Ward and I am joined by my co-host Mira Tarabeine. Tod... more

21 Jan 2026 • 27 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Foreign Affairs InterviewForeign Affairs Magazine

Recent Guests

Michael Shifter

Former president of the Inter-American Dialogue and professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service

Georgetown University / Inter-American Dialogue

Episode: A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

Tarek Mahmoud

Design engineer based in Milan, with a background in Lebanon and an interest in design interventions in war contexts.

Episode: Designing Healing Spaces

Dr. Ronay Bakan

Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute, specializing in political violence and Kurdish politics.

European University Institute

Episode: Conflict and Cultural Heritage in Diyarbakır

Dr. Alexander Fekete

Full professor at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, specializing in risk and crisis management, natural hazards, and societal resilience.

Cologne University of Applied Sciences

Episode: After the Flood: Valencia’s Road to Recovery

Dr. Alexander Thurston

Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati, specializing in Islam and politics.

University of Cincinnati

Episode: Twin Threats of Extremist Violence and Authoritarianism in the Sahel

Dr. Sheila Smith

Expert on Japanese politics and foreign policy

Council on Foreign Relations

Episode: Japan’s Iron Lady: Takaichi Sanae

Dr. Lisel Hintz

Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, SAIS

Johns Hopkins University

Episode: Istanbul's Next Earthquake

Dr. Timothy Mousseau

Evolutionary biologist and leading expert on the effects of radiation on wildlife

University of South Carolina

Episode: Radioactive Roots: Life Finds a Way (Even if it Glows a Bit)

Dr. James Fleming

Charles A. Dana Professor of Science, Technology and Society, Emeritus at Colby College.

Colby College

Episode: Making It Rain? The Promises and Pitfalls of Cloud Seeding

Hosts

Jiwon Lim

Co-host with a focus on international relations and policy discussions.

Aaryaman Shah

Co-host with a focus on discussing complex geopolitical landscapes.

Maya Martin

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 23 ratings

Great Podcast
Interesting, insightful, and worth a listen if you're interested in the field of international affairs.
Apple Podcasts
5
Deygervu
United States5 years ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the engaging and insightful discussions on pressing international issues, often highlighting the expert analyses provided in each episode.

Many find the combination of student and professional perspectives particularly refreshing and enlightening.

Overall, the podcast is well-received for its depth and relevance to contemporary global affairs.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#219	Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts	#168	Taiwan/Government
Apple Podcasts	#219	Mexico/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

Q: Why did President Trump frame this as the Don Roe Doctrine, and does it resemble a Roosevelt Corollary approach more than a Monroe Doctrine update?

The guest explains that the Monroe Doctrine was non-interventionist, while the Roosevelt Corollary justified intervention to manage regional affairs; the Don Roe framing blends updating doctrine with a proactive stance against non-hemispheric actors (notably China) and asserts a more interventionist posture.

A Stress Test for Democracy: Latin America’s Elections and U.S. Influence

Q: So could you walk us through the key elements of US regional policy towards Latin America this year, specifically under the 2026 National Security Strategy?

The guest outlines a shift toward emphasizing the Western Hemisphere as a top priority, linked to an 'America First' posture focused on homeland security, drugs, and illegal immigration, while acknowledging questions about coherence and the degree to which the US strategy actually advances long-term regional interests.

Lessons from the FSO Safer

Q: What lessons should we draw about addressing environmental threats to conflict zones?

Policymakers must recognize that action will often occur only when a threat is imminent, highlighting the necessity for proactive measures rather than reactive ones.

Lessons from the FSO Safer

Q: What were the relevant governance challenges and how did they play out in the specific case of the FSO SAFER?

The main challenge was the disconnect between the physical and legal control of FSO SAFER due to the competing claims of the Houthis and the Yemeni government.

Lessons from the FSO Safer

Q: Could you briefly situate us in the regional dynamics from 2015 onwards, when FSO Safer first became an issue?

The FSO Safer's issue began when the Yemen conflict started, severing its connection to oil fields, leaving 1.1 million barrels stranded due to the war.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Looking Glass

What is The Looking Glass about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast offers insightful discussions on critical international relations topics, focusing on contemporary issues in world affairs. Each episode features expert perspectives, covering diverse subjects such as political violence, environmental disasters, humanitarian aid in conflict areas, and the impact of policy decisions on global dynamics. The podcast uniquely balances the insights of both professionals and students, fostering a rich dialogue grounded in real-world contexts and policies.

Listeners can expect in-depth analyses that not only highlight challenges but also explore potential solutions to pressing global issues. The combination of expert commentary and accessible discussion makes it a valuable resource for anyone interes... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Looking Glass?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Looking Glass. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Looking Glass and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Looking Glass get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Looking Glass, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Looking Glass?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Looking Glass, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Looking Glass have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Looking Glass has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Looking Glass?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Looking Glass:

1. The Foreign Affairs Interview

How many episodes of The Looking Glass are there?

The Looking Glass launched 6 years ago and published 60 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Looking Glass?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Looking Glass?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Looking Glass from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Looking Glass?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Looking Glass. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Looking Glass?

Recent guests on The Looking Glass include:

1. Michael Shifter
2. Tarek Mahmoud
3. Dr. Ronay Bakan
4. Dr. Alexander Fekete
5. Dr. Alexander Thurston
6. Dr. Sheila Smith
7. Dr. Lisel Hintz
8. Dr. Timothy Mousseau

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days