I'm John Prudan, the Economist's US editor. Our podcast, Checks and Balance, delves into the

policies and politics shaping America today. We go beyond the headlines and the histrionics,

showcasing the Economist's extraordinary, independent journalism to tell stories you won't hear

anywhere else.

Each week we take a big theme and look in detail at the data, the ideas and the history behind it.

With the 2024 election soon upon us, we'll discuss what might convince voters to re-elect Joe Biden.

Every day, he sets a new record for being the oldest

person ever to hold that office. If Donald Trump's legal woes will help or hinder his road

back to the White House, it does set back the project of creating a republicanism without Trump.

And we'll take a global view, checking in on America's relationships abroad.

One thing that I've been struck by is the degree to which it pays politically for everyone

just to talk really tough on China.

And some of us will have fun along the way.

Reading Supreme Court rulings is one of the most fun activities, I think.

That sets me in a small class of people for whom that's true.

Join me and my expert colleagues in the U.S. and around the world

as we discuss the great experiment that is American democracy.

That's checks and balance from The Economist, wherever you listen to podcasts.