Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchIs This the Most Unexpected Voter Turnout Strategy Ever?
Episode 137
What if one of the most powerful tools to boost voter turnout isn’t a flashy campaign or a new voting law—but being randomly forced to work the polls…
10 months, 2 weeks ago
Should Judges Be Elected Like Politicians?
Episode 136
Hello listeners, we're taking a much-needed spring break here at the podcast, but we want to re-share one of our episodes that has become increasingl…
11 months ago
Can Meritocratic Hiring Fix the Bureaucracy?
Episode 135
Led by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE, Americans are debating once again how our government should hire civil servants, but are we ask…
11 months, 2 weeks ago
Why Does America Pay More For Infrastructure?
Episode 134
Infrastructure in the U.S. now costs dramatically more than in countries like Germany or Croatia—without clear signs of higher quality or better envi…
11 months, 3 weeks ago
Do Voters Sometimes Support Parties They Actually Disagree With?
Episode 133
In elections across democracies, we assume voters cast ballots for candidates whose policies align with their interests. But what happens when that's…
1 year ago
How Do Political Outsiders Build Loyalty With New Administrations?
Episode 132
What happens when a political outsider takes power and shakes up the system? In this episode, we look at a fascinating case study that reveals how le…
1 year ago
What Can Political Science Learn from Crypto Governance?
Episode 131
There’s a real-world experiment in governance happening that you’ve probably not heard about. It involves decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO…
1 year, 1 month ago
Is The "Strong Economy Equals Incumbent Victory" Theory Wrong?
Episode 130
Conventional wisdom says that a strong economy helps incumbents, while a weak economy hurts them. But new research from University of Chicago economi…
1 year, 1 month ago
What Are The Forces Shaping Polarization in Congress?
Episode 129
Why does Congress feel more divided than ever? Are politicians genuinely becoming more extreme, or is something else at play? In this episode, we tak…
1 year, 2 months ago
Do Voters Elect Politicians Just Based On Looks?
Episode 128
On our last episode we had a discussion about what voters care about when electing politicians…and we mentioned a prior episode where we discussed if…
1 year, 2 months ago