Politics with Paul

Paul Rader
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Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

  1. 6d ago

    Is Negative Campaigning Effective? | Politics with Paul #114

    Negativity reigns in political ads — from assailing of candidate records to personal attacks. Despite candidate pledges to be positive and voters’ insistence that they hate negative campaigning, combative and adversarial ads become only more ubiquitous in the final weeks before an election. With the harmful impacts to democracy and dialogue that negative ads can bring, there are some questions we need to ask ourselves as voters, candidates, and political observers. Is negative campaigning really that effective? Do we truly hate negative campaigning like we say we do? Can it still sometimes serve a good purpose? And lastly, what can we do about it? Today’s episode of Politics with Paul explores these questions and more. 0:00 What We Should Ask Ourselves About Negative Campaigning 1:35 What is "Negative" Campaigning? 6:26 The Blurred Line Between "Informative" and "Misleading" 9:21 Why Negative Campaign Ads are So Common 14:46 Do We Truly Hate Negative Campaigning? 19:06 How Effective is Negative Campaigning? 26:41 Why it's Hard to Legally Limit Negative Campaign Ads 30:52 How We Can Push Back Against Excessive Negative Campaigning 38:06 Closing and My Other Links Other WorksFREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/Buy my book about political independents: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/My website: https://paulrader.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWritesEmail: paulraderwrites@gmail.com

    Is Negative Campaigning Effective? | Politics with Paul #114

  2. Oct 6

    Why Do We Vote? Why SHOULD We Vote? | Politics with Paul #113

    Voting is often treated as a simple civic duty, but the reasons people vote are more varied than that. In this episode of Politics with Paul, we look at why we vote in the first place, whether voting can be considered rational, and five common motives that shape turnout. The discussion evaluates those motives and explores the blurry lines between altruism and self-interest, as well as between duty, belonging, and social approval. It closes by asking why understanding our motives for voting matters at all.

  3. Sep 29

    Are We Truly Rational When We Vote? | Politics with Paul #112

    Voting is often treated as a straightforward act of reason, but the reality is more complicated. In this episode of Politics with Paul, we examine what it means to vote rationally, how heuristics shape political choices, and 4 major models of voting behavior: rational vote theory, party-line voting, retrospective voting, and prospective voting. The discussion also looks at what influences our ballots beyond pure reasoning and asks a central question: how rational are we, really, when we vote?

  4. Sep 22

    Is There Really a "Wasted" Vote? | Politics with Paul #111

    In elections, many voters worry about "wasting" votes on perceived uncompetitive candidates - but is there such a thing as a wasted vote? Or perhaps this is the better question: Is the logic behind "not wasting votes" flawed? Today's episode of Politics with Paul dives into this common thought process that affects countless votes - and therefore, countless election results. The discussion cuts to the heart of some of the most important questions in politics: why we even vote in the first place, how logical voters' thinking is, and whether we are truly holding politicians, interest groups, and media accountable.

  5. Sep 15

    When is it Appropriate to "Talk About Politics"? | Politics with Paul #110

    Growing up and even as adults, we're often told that we should avoid talking politics because it is too divisive. That's understandable given how toxic the subject is, but that's not always good advice. Yet how do we know when we should and shouldn't discuss it? There's a time and place for everything, and today's episode of Politics with Paul explores when and where that is for elections and policy talk. Included in the discussion are the factors that influence the appropriateness of talking politics, why it's not just about when and where we discuss it, and whether that old advice to avoid political conversation may be contributing to today's divisiveness and polarization.

  6. Sep 8

    The US Senate: Abolish, Keep the Same, or Reform? | Politics with Paul #109

    The US Senate often finds itself in the middle of controversy and as the subject of scorn. But does this mean we should eliminate it completely? Is it outdated ... or still a necessary part of American government? In today's episode of Politics with Paul, we tackle this question. While it's not a popular view, at its core are some of the most essential questions about how our government should work. The episode also covers why we need to know why the US Senate was created, the question of whether it is an extreme position, and potential changes to the US Senate including a lower threshold to override filibusters or slight changes to the number of Senators per state.

  7. Sep 1

    How We Can Start Fixing Political Apathy w/ Travis Taylor | Politics with Paul #108

    Apathy about politics is always a looming threat to democracy - one that even the Founding Fathers warned about. But why do we see so much apathy? And what can we do about it? On today's episode, survey research expert Travis Taylor discusses his insights and findings on the problem of political apathy and how we can start fixing it. Drawing on his new book, "Democracy InAction: How Citizen Apathy Threatens America and What We Can Do About It," tune in to hear his advice on the sources of political detachment, where civic involvement can improve (which goes beyond voting), and how the solution starts with simple changes.

  8. Aug 25

    How Can We Restore Trust in Political Institutions? w/ Sherman Tylawsky | Politics with Paul #107

    How did we come to have such disturbingly low trust in so many American political institutions? And how do we restore that faith? Today's Politics with Paul guest, Sherman Tylawsky of the George Washington Institute, discusses these questions and more. Tune in to hear his insights on why it is important to have some faith (but not blind and unthinking faith) in the basic organizations, rules, and systems of American politics; why this lack of trust is a threat to democracy; and how fixing the problem is attainable.

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About

Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Rader
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Paul Rader
  • Show Website
    Politics with Paul