Past as Prologue: A Conversation with Historian Jonathan Meacham

A big thank you to Autodesk, the sponsor of Engineering Influence at this year’s convention. Autodesk partners with the AECO industry and its leaders to shape a more connected, data-driven future, empowering engineers to work more intelligently and to make confident decisions to drive meaningful impact. This enables firms to evolve, stay competitive, and deliver stronger business outcomes, all while designing a better world.

So thank you again to Autodesk. Welcome to Engineering Influence, a podcast from the American Council of Engineering Companies coming to you from our 2026 convention and legislative summit in Washington, D.C. Host interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jonathan Meacham about the state of American politics, the erosion of institutions, parallels between the 1920s and today, the rise of nationalized and atomized political discourse, and the question of whether ‘Trump’ or ‘Trumpism’ will define the coming years. Meacham discusses his new book, “American Struggle,” and emphasizes the ongoing nature of the American experiment and the role of history in understanding and responding to current challenges.