#AskDifferent

For a special episode in the wake of the US presidential elections, we spoke with Richard Samuels, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Center for International Studies at MIT and Japanologist, about American national identity and the current role of the United States on the geopolitical stage. In a gripping conversation, the former Einstein Visiting Fellow points out the crucial role of local government in the era of fragile democracies, and shares his understanding of political science as a way of explaining rather than predicting political developments. Find out why, according to Samuels, anarchy in international affairs is endlessly fascinating, and what he thinks it takes to be a ”brave scholar”.