Best Niskanen Center The Science Of Politics Podcasts (2025)

1
Who now directs spending: Congress or the president? 57:22

18m ago57:22

57:22

Donald Trump has taken extraordinary actions to redirect or ignore congressional appropriations, from dismantling foreign aid to making the Education Department a ghost town. But how unique are Trump’s efforts to avoid spending when he does not favor it? Kevin Angell compares what Congress appropriated to what agencies actually spent over decades, …

1
The backlash presidency 55:42

21d ago55:42

55:42

How unique is Donald Trump’s trajectory as a president born of backlash? What should we make of Trump following Barack Obama? Julia Azari finds that backlash presidents like Trump tend to follow transformative presidents like Barack Obama who represent changes to the American racial order. And the backlash presidents commonly face impeachment as th…

1
How the money chase governs our elections 38:59

28d ago38:59

38:59

A year before the midterms, quarterly fundraising reports are already reshuffling expectations and causing some candidates to drop out. And candidates are spending almost as much raising money as they collect. That’s because in congressional primaries and general elections, the top fundraiser still wins 92 percent of the time. Danielle Thomsen find…

1
The Supreme Court is enabling Trump’s executive power 55:32

1M ago55:32

55:32

Many thought the second Trump administration would feature a confrontation between a Supreme Court intent on limiting executive discretion and an empowered president flaunting the rules. Instead, the Supreme Court has largely acquiesced to Trump’s moves, using the shadow docket to overturn lower court actions limiting Trump, even those from Republi…

1
The future of the democratic party 57:52

2M ago57:52

57:52

Democrats are out of power in all three branches of government, uncompetitive in many states, and divided on how to prepare for 2026. What’s the path forward? Should the party refocus on economics over cultural issues? Moderate across the board? Or embrace the abundance agenda as their electoral and policymaking future?…

1
Will partisan redistricting tip Congress? 1:09:05

3M ago1:09:05

1:09:05

Texas, California, and Missouri are moving forward with plans for mid-decade redistricting to gain partisan advantage—with other states threatening to follow. They are not hiding the motive: President Trump asked Texas to gain Republicans seats and Governor Newsom is saying he needs to retaliate. Just how much has gerrymandering gained the parties …

1
The fall of an independent Fed 57:11

3M ago57:11

57:11

President Trump has pressured and attacked the Federal Reserve and is now trying to replace governors. What are the consequences if the Fed is losing independence and moving toward presidential control? Cristina Bodea finds that the Fed was never the most independent and is becoming less so in the face of public pressure. That could make a normally…

1
Making AI policy: Are we falling behind or rushing in? 58:31

3M ago58:31

58:31

As the next AI cycle begins, state and national governments are trying to keep up. And AI policy now matters for energy, health, education, foreign, and economic development policy as well. What can we learn from the early AI legislation? Chinnu Parinandi finds that partisan alignments and institutional capacity shape where and how consumer protect…

1
Is democracy failing education? 57:46

4M ago57:46

57:46

American students are falling behind while local school boards are preoccupied with culture war controversies. Is local democratic control of schools a detriment to improving student outcomes? Vlad Kogan finds that school boards regularly prioritize the needs of teachers and administrators over students. Elections are unrepresentative and sometimes…

1
Reconciliation and rescission 54:54

4M ago54:54

54:54

The Republican Congress has quickly remade fiscal policy, with substantially more success than in Trump’s first term. How did they achieve so much more without compromise? How much will their routes around the filibuster matter for the decline of congressional appropriations? And are we setting up for a huge new step in presidential spending power:…

1
How the president gained war powers 49:53

5M ago49:53

49:53

After President Trump bombed Iran, Democrats in Congress declared the action illegal. But it follows a long history of increased presidential control of military operations along with congressional deference and abrogation of war powers. How did we get here? Casey Dominguez finds that although the founders bestowed war powers with Congress, by the …

1
If we don’t like polarizing politicians, why do we get them? 1:01:42

5M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

Politicians are launching outlandish negative attacks and Americans have developed more negative views of the other party. But how connected are polarizing politicians and a polarized electorate? Mia Costa finds that political elites have more polarized views of the other side than the public but they still benefit electorally and legislatively fro…

1
Building a science of political progress 55:48

6M ago55:48

55:48

Politics seems to be holding us back in a world of technological and social progress. Research has found health cures, invented magic new tools, and connected us all, often with public policy assistance. Yet, the American political system remains deeply divided and dysfunctional, with the relationship between science and government at a low point. …

1
The backstory for presidential power grabs 59:16

6M ago59:16

59:16

President Trump is claiming power over independent agencies and trying to redirect the administrative state, saying he is its unitary executive. But this is not the first time presidents have invoked broad authority. John Dearborn finds that President Reagan sought to gain power over civil rights agencies, saying they had gone too far in promoting …

1
Can liberals stop Trump in the courts? 56:55

7M ago56:55

56:55

Donald Trump’s expansive executive action has been met with a flurry of court action, as Democratic officials and liberal interest groups challenge each action—with a lot of early success. Can liberals succeed in limiting Trump through the courts or are American courts an inevitably conservative institution? Paul Nolette finds that Democratic Attor…

1
How the 1st term trade war hurt Trump 59:49

7M ago59:49

59:49

Donald Trump has now unilaterally imposed huge global tariffs, upending the world economy. But we did get a preview of Trump’s trade approach in his first term, allowing researchers to analyze the political consequences. Thiemo Fetzer finds that China, the EU, Canada, and Mexico reacted to the first term tariffs strategically, trying to hurt Trump’…

1
Is Trump redirecting or deconstructing the administrative state? 49:51

7M ago49:51

49:51

The 2nd Trump administration has begun tearing down the administrative state, firing thousands, cancelling contracts, and shuttering agencies. But they have also used the power of the state to ramp up summary deportations, crack down on universities, and threaten prosecutions of their political opponents. So is this the culmination of Republican ef…

1
Are the parties too focused on policy programs? 44:55

8M ago44:55

44:55

We have the parties that we said we wanted: they compete over extensive policy programs, with voters making decisions among clear issue position alternatives. But how did they get here and have they now gone too far? Katherine Krimmel finds that the American parties became extensively programmatic as they lost vestiges of clientelism and became nat…

1
How policymakers and experts failed the COVID test 59:04

9M ago59:04

59:04

Five years after the COVID lockdowns, the performance of government and policy experts is not looking great in retrospect. Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee find that policymakers dispensed with years of pre-pandemic planning that suggested the tools used to fight COVID would not work. Experts did not sufficiently consider the costs of their preferred…

1
Can judicial review stop a lawless executive? 59:39

9M ago59:39

59:39

Courts are pausing dozens of Trump administration actions—from mass firings to agency shutdowns. But does the judiciary have a real enforcement mechanism? Will public faith in the courts mean Trump faces consequences in elections and public esteem or will that faith wilt as the judiciary is just seen as another partisan institution? Amanda Driscoll…

1
Why some Latinos support the Trump immigration agenda 49:38

10M ago49:38

49:38

While promising mass deportation and an immigration crackdown, Donald Trump gained Latino support in 2024, just as he had in 2020. Why do some Latinos support anti-immigration policies and candidates? Loren Collingwood finds that many Latinos separate themselves from recent immigrants as atypical of their group. But does that explain recent Democra…

1
Counterproductive interest group polarization 57:18

10M ago57:18

57:18

American interest groups are increasingly lining up behind the Democratic or Republican Party and trying to build coalitions within those parties rather than across them. But historically, that has not been the most effective method to bring policy change. Jesse Crosson finds that interest groups are increasingly taking positions on issues outside …

1
How racial realignment ignited the culture war 46:12

11M ago46:12

46:12

How did Americans become politically divided on culture war topics like guns, abortion, women’s role, gay rights, and environmentalism? The common story is that it took polarizers from the top: politicians and activists associated with each party moved the public to their respective sides. But Neil O’Brian finds that the culture war followed Americ…

1
Threats to democracy in the 2nd Trump administration 55:37

11M ago55:37

55:37

Trump has promised to remake the federal bureaucracy in his own image and go after his political opponents and the media in his 2nd administration. But there are signals that public protest and civil society mobilization are subdued. How much do we have to fear further democratic backsliding under Trump 2? Brendan Nyhan finds expert consensus on ma…

1
Why Asian Americans did not swing to Harris 47:18

12M ago47:18

47:18

When Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, an outpouring of excitement among Indian Americans foretold potential gains for Democrats among Asian Americans, the fastest growing minority group. But Asian Americans neither turned out in record numbers nor moved toward Democrats. In fact, Indian Americans moved toward Trump. Janelle…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Niskanen Center The Science Of Politics Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
The Science of Politics

Niskanen Center

1
Who now directs spending: Congress or the president? 57:22

1
The backlash presidency 55:42

1
How the money chase governs our elections 38:59

1
The Supreme Court is enabling Trump’s executive power 55:32

1
The future of the democratic party 57:52

1
Will partisan redistricting tip Congress? 1:09:05

1
The fall of an independent Fed 57:11

1
Making AI policy: Are we falling behind or rushing in? 58:31

1
Is democracy failing education? 57:46

1
Reconciliation and rescission 54:54

1
How the president gained war powers 49:53

1
If we don’t like polarizing politicians, why do we get them? 1:01:42

1
Building a science of political progress 55:48

1
The backstory for presidential power grabs 59:16

1
Can liberals stop Trump in the courts? 56:55

1
How the 1st term trade war hurt Trump 59:49

1
Is Trump redirecting or deconstructing the administrative state? 49:51

1
Are the parties too focused on policy programs? 44:55

1
How policymakers and experts failed the COVID test 59:04

1
Can judicial review stop a lawless executive? 59:39

1
Why some Latinos support the Trump immigration agenda 49:38

1
Counterproductive interest group polarization 57:18

1
How racial realignment ignited the culture war 46:12

1
Threats to democracy in the 2nd Trump administration 55:37

1
Why Asian Americans did not swing to Harris 47:18

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