Unlocked: How Government Works

Nancy Gibbs

From Nancy Gibbs and the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Unlocked is a new series to help journalists and those taking on the task of explaining the news today better understand how the U.S. Government actually works, what it does, and the people, policies, and programs that drive it. In collaboration with The Journalist's Resource, "Unlocked" is also a series of print explainers on related topics. Visit ShorensteinCenter.org/Unlocked to learn more. Intro music by https://pixabay.com/users/nikitakondrashev-42823964/

Episodes

  1. 11/05/2025

    Unlocked: Who controls the National Guard?

    Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick joins host Nancy Gibbs for a deep dive on the National Guard—covering everything from how and when they can be deployed to who holds command and who foots the bill. Drawing from his own experiences calling up the Guard during the Boston Marathon Bombing, Governor Patrick explains the chain of authority and the complex decision-making and coordination involved between state and federal authorities.

    Unlocked: Who controls the National Guard?

  2. 10/15/2025

    Unlocked: What is the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?

    Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler sits down with Nancy Gibbs to discuss how the Federal Communications Commission has historically regulated what Americans see and hear. Wheeler explains how longstanding norms are being tested by the current administration and why it's more important than ever for journalists and the public to understand both the legal limits of the agency's powers and the civil liberties those limits were designed to protect.

    Unlocked: What is the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?

  3. 10/08/2025

    Unlocked: How do class action lawsuits work?

    What is a class action lawsuit, and what role might this type of litigation play in the shaping of US law and policy? On this episode of Unlocked, Harvard Law Professor William Rubenstein joins host Nancy Gibbs to discuss how these cases work, the types of issues they address, and what questions reporters should be asking when covering class action lawsuits.

    Unlocked: How do class action lawsuits work?

  4. 09/03/2025

    Unlocked: How Are Vaccines Approved and Recommended in the United States?

    On this episode of Unlocked, Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, about how vaccines get from the research lab to the doctor's office and the federal policies and practices that guide immunization in the United States. Dr. Offit explains the rigorous process behind vaccine approval, the role of advisory committees, and how safety is monitored over time.

    Unlocked: How Are Vaccines Approved and Recommended in the United States?

  5. 07/23/2025

    Unlocked: What are the legal limitations of US immigration enforcement?

    On this episode of Unlocked, host Nancy Gibbs talks with Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security under President Obama, about the legal complexities surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States. From detention and deportation procedures to what happens at the border, Kayyem breaks down the rights afforded to citizens and non-citizens alike and the limits of government power.

    Unlocked: What are the legal limitations of US immigration enforcement?

  6. 07/15/2025

    Unlocked: Who Enforces America's Immigration Laws?

    On this episode of "Unlocked," host Nancy Gibbs taps Syracuse University professor and leading immigration policy expert Austin Kocher to help break down the complex world of immigration enforcement in the United States, and untangle the roles of agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homeland Security. They discuss the challenges journalists face on the immigration beat, and the importance of verifying data and centering immigrants' real stories when reporting on this issue.

    Unlocked: Who Enforces America's Immigration Laws?

  7. 07/10/2025

    Unlocked: Understanding the Federal Debt

    Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Karen Dynan, Professor of the Practice in the Harvard University Department of Economics and at the Harvard Kennedy School, about the federal debt—who the U.S. owes money to, why it matters, and what the implications of rising debt are for state and local governments and the lives of everyday Americans.

    Unlocked: Understanding the Federal Debt

  8. 07/09/2025

    Unlocked: Who is collecting America's climate data—and why does it matter?

    On this episode of Unlocked, Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Justin Mankin, associate professor of geography and earth sciences at Dartmouth College, about the impacts of government-collected climate data. They discuss the history and vital importance of publicly funded data collection, the growing risk of privatization, and what it means for access to life-saving information in the face of climate change. Tune in to learn why the future of weather and climate data affects everyone—and who could be left behind if access is restricted.

    Unlocked: Who is collecting America's climate data—and why does it matter?

  9. 06/17/2025

    What is the role of US Inspectors General? With Michael Missal

    What do Inspectors General actually do, and why has their role become a battleground in recent years? On this episode of Unlocked, Michael Missal—former Inspector General of the US Department of Veterans Affairs—joins host Nancy Gibbs to break down the vital work of IGs in safeguarding federal agencies from waste, fraud, and abuse. Together, they explore the unique independence of IGs, the importance of transparency, and what happens when oversight is threatened by political interference. Missal shares firsthand stories from his tenure serving under multiple presidential administrations—detailing how investigations are handled, and explaining the legal requirements for the removal of IGs. With a recent wave of firings and mounting pressure on independent oversight bodies like the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office, this episode examines the essential work of these government watchdogs.

    What is the role of US Inspectors General? With Michael Missal

  10. 04/10/2025

    What Makes Government Inefficient? With Mina Hsiang

    Mina Hsiang served as the Administrator of the United States Digital Service from 2021 until January 2025. She joined Nancy Gibbs to talk about what the USDS did to build both government services and efficiency, as well as a broader conversation about the role of government in society, the hurdles to making government more efficienet, and some of the nuts and bolts that most people only see from the inside, like how hiring works in the federal government, and what it took to make data systems talk to one another and why that was important for people like military veterans.

    What Makes Government Inefficient? With Mina Hsiang

  11. Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing Unlocked

    Welcome to Unlocked, an explanatory podcast to help people reporting on the news decipher how the U.S. government works, and what exactly is going on today. Hosted by Nancy Gibbs, from the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

    Introducing Unlocked

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

From Nancy Gibbs and the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Unlocked is a new series to help journalists and those taking on the task of explaining the news today better understand how the U.S. Government actually works, what it does, and the people, policies, and programs that drive it. In collaboration with The Journalist's Resource, "Unlocked" is also a series of print explainers on related topics. Visit ShorensteinCenter.org/Unlocked to learn more. Intro music by https://pixabay.com/users/nikitakondrashev-42823964/

Information