The Start-Up Spirit Behind America's Founding, with Arthur Herman
The Start-Up Spirit Behind America's Founding, with Arthur Herman  
Podcast: School of War
Published On: Fri Jun 12 2026
Description: Arthur Herman, senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump, joins School of War to discuss how America’s Founding Fathers helped create a culture of innovation in technology, industry, and warfare. Who are the most important founders of the past and present? What lessons can they teach us about today’s revolution in warfare? And what makes American ingenuity so unique? 02:45 - Defining founders 10:56 - Technology at America's founding  13:49  - Alex Karp and the founder mindset 14:45 - The creation of Springfield Arsenal 15:40 - Thomas Jefferson and American weapons 19:10 - Today's revolution in warfare 20:53 - AI on the battlefield 21:49 - Why a strong economy matters 24:40 - China's defense industry 26:32  - American industrial policy 29:11 - Lessons from Ukraine 31:29 - Declining competition in weapons manufacturing 33:38 - The burden of weapons regulations 37:50 - Elon Musk's founder mentality 41:52 - The future of American ingenuity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices