Power Plays

Podcaster

Uncover the fascinating stories behind the political decisions that shape our world. Each episode takes you inside the rooms where power is wielded, revealing the human drama and strategic calculations that drive government action.

  1. 8h ago

    The Ghost in the Machine: How a Dead Agency Still Controls Your Life

    The Office of Technology Assessment was killed by Congress in 1995, but its absence haunts every tech policy disaster from social media regulation to AI governance. We explore how the deliberate destruction of government's technical expertise created a knowledge vacuum that Silicon Valley was happy to fill. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    20 min

  2. 1d ago

    The Revolving Door's Broken Hinge: When Regulators Can't Leave

    What happens when a federal regulator tries to quit but legally can't? We explore the bizarre world of 'golden handcuffs' in government service, where ethics rules designed to prevent corruption instead trap officials in jobs they desperately want to leave. From the FDA scientist who became a prisoner of her own expertise to the banking regulator whose resignation letter sat in limbo for eight months. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 min

  3. 2d ago

    The Midnight Rules: How Lame Duck Presidents Booby-Trap Their Successors

    Every outgoing president has roughly 75 days to cement their legacy through a blitz of last-minute regulations—and every incoming administration scrambles to dismantle them. We trace the escalating regulatory warfare between administrations and reveal how bureaucratic landmines planted in the final weeks can sabotage policy agendas for years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    18 min

  4. 3d ago

    The Unelected Cabinet: How Career Staff Really Run Washington

    While presidents appoint roughly 4,000 political positions, over 2 million career civil servants actually implement policy—and they've perfected the art of outlasting administrations. We examine how the permanent bureaucracy shapes, delays, and sometimes outright sabotages the agenda of whoever happens to be in charge, and why understanding this shadow governance structure is crucial to understanding why campaign promises so rarely become reality. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    17 min

  5. 4d ago

    The Revolving Door's Golden Handcuffs

    Why the most powerful people in Washington aren't elected officials—they're the mid-level bureaucrats and lobbyists who rotate between agencies and private sector jobs every few years. We follow the paper trail of how a small group of regulatory insiders shapes everything from your prescription drug costs to your mortgage rates, often writing rules for agencies they used to work for and will work for again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    20 min

  6. 5d ago

    The Emergency Powers Trap

    Every crisis becomes an opportunity for government to expand its reach—and those powers rarely get returned when the emergency ends. From the Patriot Act's surveillance apparatus to pandemic lockdown authorities still on the books, we trace how temporary measures become permanent fixtures of the state. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    14 min

  7. 6d ago

    The Revolving Door Cartel

    When telecom executives write telecom regulations and banking lawyers craft banking rules, is it regulatory capture or just how Washington works? We follow the money and the people through the revolving door between industry and government to reveal how former regulators become lobbyists, and former lobbyists become regulators—creating a shadow system where the line between public service and private profit disappears. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    21 min

  8. Jun 8

    The Midnight Judge Factory

    When presidents lose elections, they don't just pack their bags—they pack the courts. We explore the little-known tradition of lame-duck judicial appointments, from John Adams' original 'midnight judges' to modern confirmation wars, and how a constitutional loophole became a weapon for extending political influence decades beyond a single term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 min
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About

Uncover the fascinating stories behind the political decisions that shape our world. Each episode takes you inside the rooms where power is wielded, revealing the human drama and strategic calculations that drive government action.

Information

  • Creator
    Podcaster
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Power Plays