The Politics Guys

Michael Baranowski
  • 4.4 (745)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Politics Guys is an independent, bipartisan, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, practicing attorneys, and former government officials. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives. In addition to our weekly news discussion, we feature regular interviews with leading figures from across the ideological spectrum. Past guests include Representatives Jim Jordan, Thomas Massie, and Rob Wittman; Jeffrey Sachs; Tyler Cowen; Bryan Caplan; Dan Carlin; Larry Sabato; and Lawrence Lessig. 

  1. 14H AGO

    Military Conduct, TPUSA, 2026 Predictions, Recommendations and Rants

    Trey and Mike join in this holiday-sized show! The pair start with a look into the Pentagon’s investigation into Senator Kelly over his video of illegal orders. Mike outlines the contours of the military code of justice. Trey argues for the need for members of the Senate (and House) to have the ability to speak freely. Next, they move to the ongoing feud between Candace Owens and Erica Kirk over TPUSA and the killing of Charlie Kirk. Trey argues that the future of the political right is who wins in this battle. Mike argues Owens is simply a grifter, but Trey argues that today’s media environment creates unintended consequences for the consumers of a grifter’s product. After that, it is a Politics Guys tradition: making predictions on 2026! Listen for both hosts’ 2026 predictions! The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
  2. Introducing Explain Like I'm 5

    15H AGO

    Introducing Explain Like I'm 5

    Mike talks about the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast. I hope you will enjoy this excellent show as much as we do.

    2 min

  3. 4D AGO

    The Affordability Hoax, Tina Peters and Presidential Power

    Trey and Mike start with a focus on economic affordability, inflation rates, and the implications of Trump's economic policies. Trey outlines the historic economic conditions between Trump and Biden, noting that the economic conditions under Trump were better than under Biden. Mike argues that you can’t look at the total average under Biden because of COVID.  Next, they discuss Trump's pardon of Tina Peters, exploring the limits of presidential power and the role of norms in governance. Mike argues that, from a textualist viewpoint, the U.S. Constitution is consistent with a unitary theory of the presidency. Trey disagrees sharply, arguing that no matter the framework of constitutional interpretation, you can’t get to a unitary vision of the presidency. The show ends on an extended debate between Trey and Mike over the need for more than paper barriers in political systems. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m
  4. Streaming Battle, Minnesota Fraud, Listener Questions

    DEC 16

    Streaming Battle, Minnesota Fraud, Listener Questions

    Mike and Joey open with a deep dive into the emerging battle over Warner Bros. Discovery, weighing Netflix’s proposed mega-merger against Paramount Skydance’s rival bid and asking whether antitrust law still has teeth in a streaming world defined by consolidation. Mike stresses market definition, consumer harm, and the risk of enshittification when dominant platforms get complacent, while Joey argues consolidation raises prices and erodes both competition and the marketplace of ideas  Next, they turn to the idea of “objective” or traditional news, debating David Ellison’s claim that CNN and CBS could rebuild a fact-driven, ideologically broad audience. Joey defends the possibility and sees value in restoring credibility and competition in media, while Mike remains skeptical that mass audiences in 2025 want anything other than affirmation and outrage, even if he’d personally welcome the experiment  After that, the conversation shifts to the Minnesota COVID-era fraud scandal, where more than a billion dollars meant for vulnerable populations was allegedly stolen. Mike frames it as a structural failure driven by weak oversight, rushed emergency funding, and overreliance on nonprofits, while Joey emphasizes the brazen nature of the fraud and warns against the weaponization of racism accusations to shut down scrutiny  Then they tackle harder cultural questions around assimilation, balkanization, and how identity politics complicates governance and accountability. Mike argues these are permanent tensions between competing values that require constant management rather than simple fixes, while Joey worries that avoidance of honest discussion creates openings for corruption and social decay  Finally, the guys close with listener questions on evidence-based policy, tariffs, deficits, and accusations of authoritarianism in the Trump era. Mike concedes the right often diagnoses problems with big government more accurately but rejects its preferred cures, while Joey defends tariffs as pragmatic fair-trade tools and dismisses claims of rising authoritarianism as rhetorical overreach fueled by fundraising incentives on both sides The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min

  5. DEC 13

    Venezuela Actions, Presidential Power

    Mike and Joey open with a look at U.S. missile strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats and the seizure of an oil tanker, debating whether Article II authority is enough or whether Congress should have a say. Mike presses on limiting principles, civilian deaths, and why Coast Guard interdiction might achieve the same ends with fewer moral costs, while Joey argues the strikes fit long-standing counterterror logic and reflect the president’s duty to act decisively against narco-terror networks  Next, they pivot to Trump v. Slaughter and the fate of Humphrey’s Executor, unpacking what presidential removal power means for “independent” agencies. Joey leans toward a unitary executive reading that restores democratic accountability, while Mike agrees the precedent is weak but worries that blowing it up without Congress rebuilding its own capacity could turbocharge executive whiplash and regulatory chaos  After that, the discussion widens into the administrative state itself, with both circling the same problem from different angles: Congress has offloaded too much responsibility, leaving courts and agencies to fill the void. Mike stresses the need for narrow, well-defined lanes where experts handle technical matters but elected officials own big policy choices, while Joey pushes the idea that forcing Congress back into the driver’s seat may be the only way to fix the incentive rot  The guys close with a sober reflection on stability versus accountability, warning that unchecked executive swings risk long-term incoherence at home and weakness abroad. Despite sharp disagreements, they converge on a rare point of unity: the system’s dysfunction is less about any one president and more about a legislature that has forgotten how to govern  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min

  6. DEC 9

    Ideologies: Marxism

    Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week they dive into Marxism. Topics covered include: Marxism’s underlying structure in Hegel’s writings Historical Determinism Democracy and Marxism Lenin’s “fix” to Marxism with imperialism Critiques of Marxism and Neo-Marxism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    16 min

  7. DEC 5

    National Guard Members Killed, Hegseth's Narco Strikes, Alina Habba, Tennessee Special Election, Oklahoma University Student's Failing Grade

    Trey and Justin start the show discussing last week’s tragic incident involving the National Guard in Washington DC. Here, both Trey and Justin agree on the terrible nature of the attack. Trey highlights the emotionally charged nature such an episode will have on immigration conversations. Specifically, Trey discusses how media frames impact policy. Justin highlights that the White House is simply using the incident to crackdown further on immigration. The pair both agree that Afghans who assisted the U.S. were due help and that an individualized tragic incident does not change the need for a robust asylum policy. Next, the guys talk about Secretary Hegseth. Here, the conversation focuses primarily on the strikes on the narco-boats, but briefly includes a conversation about the findings in Hegseth’s Signal chat. There is large agreement between Trey and Justin that international law and American Rules of Engagement specifically state that shipwrecked individuals are no longer combatants. Trey suggests that the entire incident is about a larger policy from Hegseth to get back to a “warrior culture.” After that, the guys turn to Alina Habba and what her disqualification means for the power between the branches of government. A lack of Senate confirmation and a loss of the ruling means the issue heads to the Supreme Court, yet there appears to be no indication that the White House or the Department of Justice are changing policy in light of the court ruling. Trey says his faith in the Supreme Court will be shaken if they allow Habba to continue.  Then the pair turn to the takeaways from the Tennessee Special Election. Trey highlights the unique nature of special elections and doesn’t think it offers much, although he does question the choice of Democratic candidates to be more competitive. Justin discusses that it might be a warning light for Republicans. They close by discussing the controversial academic assignment at the University of Oklahoma and the ramifications for academic freedom and standards in higher education.  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support atpatreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 11m

  8. DEC 2

    Democrats’ Dilemma, Second Thoughts on Sports Betting

    Mike, Tim, and Michael open with the “Deciding to Win” memo and the broader question of how Democrats can reconnect with working-class voters while staying true to core values. Mike argues that Democrats already face structural disadvantages and will lose even more elections if they treat politics as a mass pedagogy project instead of meeting voters where they are with authentic, non-condescending economic populism. Tim contends that Democrats are ripping themselves apart over issues like trans rights, women’s sports, and abortion limits, and that these fissures are driving away Hispanics and moderates in a way no amount of polling or data can paper over. Michael embraces the memo’s focus on bread-and-butter economics but insists Democrats cannot simply bury generational fights over climate and trans rights, warning that throwing vulnerable groups under the bus for short-term wins risks both moral failure and long-term political costs. Next, the guys tackle the explosion of legal sports betting after Murphy v. NCAA, weighing the tax revenue and entertainment value against addiction, integrity scandals, and the corrosive rise of in-game micro-bets. Mike stresses that problem gamblers provide a huge share of industry revenue and that once you factor in social services, law enforcement, and economic substitution, every state gambling dollar likely costs several more dollars in external damage, all while leagues gorge on betting-related income. Tim frames gambling as a perennial human impulse that should be managed rather than banned, suggesting a middle ground that allows traditional game-outcome betting but sharply restricts corruption-prone prop bets instead of pretending the state can save people from every self-destructive choice. Michael admits to enjoying small, controlled wagers but argues today’s always-on apps and prop-bet interfaces amount to “addiction by algorithm,” fueling both personal ruin and match-fixing risks in lower-tier sports, even as states and leagues grow dependent on the cash. Take advantage of our Small Business Saturday Weeklong Sale by getting an additional 10% off of annual support at the Insider and Sustainer levels by using code EF0C7 at checkout. New monthly supporters can get 90% off their first month with code 21FDF. To redeem either of these offers, go to patreon.com/politicsguys. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Check out the excellent Sustainable Planet podcast. Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
745 Ratings

About

The Politics Guys is an independent, bipartisan, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, practicing attorneys, and former government officials. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives. In addition to our weekly news discussion, we feature regular interviews with leading figures from across the ideological spectrum. Past guests include Representatives Jim Jordan, Thomas Massie, and Rob Wittman; Jeffrey Sachs; Tyler Cowen; Bryan Caplan; Dan Carlin; Larry Sabato; and Lawrence Lessig. 

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Baranowski
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2025
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Politics Guys

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