Why does poverty persist after decades of aid? Why do development projects fail despite billions in funding? Why do policies designed to help communities often leave them worse off?

The Unpopular View tackles the questions most policymakers, activists, and institutions avoid. Host Michael Brown draws on 40+ years of work across 35+ countries to examine the realities of foreign aid, climate policy, corruption, resource governance, and economic development.

Rather than repeating familiar narratives, each episode tests popular assumptions against evidence from the field. The result is a candid exploration of what drives progress, what holds it back, and why many global solutions fail to deliver on their promises.

If you're interested in geopolitics, development, economics, and the forces shaping the modern world, The Unpopular View offers a perspective you won't hear anywhere else.