Published March 20, 2026
Viewed across five decades, the structure of global power has changed less than commonly assumed. Maritime democracies continue to confront large, land-based authoritarian powers, while the United States retains a dominant share of global wealth, military capacity, innovation, and cultural influence. What has changed is scale: global interconnection, dual-use technology, and the diffusion of economic success have made power harder to control and easier to exploit. The result is not decline, but a world destabilized by the unintended consequences of victory.
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Recorded on August 14, 2025.
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The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
Stephen Kotkin
Podcasts
California lately: Winners and losers in the aftermath of the Paramount antitrust settlement. The future of California’s beleaguered high-speed rail project. Gov. Newsom angling for trout (and the presidency) in a Montana photo-op. Plus, an upcoming debate in what otherwise has been a sleepy governor’s race.
September 25, 2026 • 0 Min Listen
Event
The Hoover Institution in DC hosts Ideas Uncorked: China After Communism: Preparing For What Comes Next on Wednesday, October 14 from 5:00-6:30 pm ET. The event will feature Miles Maochun Yu.
September 13, 2024
Videos
Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson says with five weeks to go before the midterm elections, the races remain uncertain. Hanson notes that current polling shows Democrats with an advantage in several key contests, but questions remain about polling accuracy, campaign spending, redistricting and the records of individual candidates.
September 22, 2026