The Politics Guys

The Politics Guys - Government Democracy & News
  • 4.4 (752)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. 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.

  1. 3d ago

    Trump's Troubled Appointments and War on the Press

    In this supporters' exclusive midweek episode, Mike and Justin discuss Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation as ambassador to Greece, the Trump administration's antitrust investigation into major news networks, and the extraordinarily short tenure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. They begin with allegations that Guilfoyle solicited money and personal favors from wealthy Trump supporters, raising broader questions about political patronage, diplomatic appointments, and corruption. Next, they examine whether the Justice Department has a legitimate antitrust case against television networks that suspended White House press pool coverage—or whether the investigation represents another effort to punish critical media outlets. The discussion turns to Zacharia's departure after just five days, Trump's approach to staffing, and whether the traditional White House press secretary still serves a useful purpose in the social media era. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Trump's Troubled Appointments and War on the Press

  2. 5d ago

    GOP Midterm Woes, Russian Diesel, Rep. Omar Raid

    With the 2026 midterms approaching, Mike and Justin examine the increasingly difficult electoral landscape for Republicans, including Democrats' chances of capturing both chambers of Congress. They discuss record-breaking campaign spending, Elon Musk's extraordinary contributions, and why Trump is sitting on hundreds of millions in campaign funds while concentrating his rallies in Republican strongholds. Next, the guys turn to the Justice Department's search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home, examining allegations involving her citizenship and finances, previous investigations that produced no charges, and whether the timing suggests political intimidation rather than legitimate law enforcement. Finally, they consider Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, whether the deal could meaningfully reduce American fuel prices, and reports of restrictions on Ukraine's satellite communications. They also explore growing Republican resistance to Trump's Russia policy and the broader institutional implications of a presidency increasingly willing to test the limits of executive authority, with Congress seemingly unable or unwilling to impose meaningful restraints. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    GOP Midterm Woes, Russian Diesel, Rep. Omar Raid

  3. Oct 13

    Is Trump's Approval Too High?

    In this special full-length release of our normally supporters-only midweek episode, Mike and Michael Levy tackle a provocative question: Why are Donald Trump's approval ratings still so high? With approval in the 30s, Trump's popularity looks dismal by conventional standards. But given his controversies, policy failures, and challenges to democratic institutions, should his numbers be even lower? Mike challenges Michael's argument (from his Substack - link below) as they explore Trump's unusually resilient political support, the role of partisan identity and affective polarization, and whether Trumpism can survive without Trump himself. They also examine whether Democrats are susceptible to the same tribal loyalties, why some voters actively welcome Trump's aggressive use of presidential power, and what the erosion of respect for the rule of law means for American democracy. Finally, they consider why fact-checking and policy proposals so often fail to change minds—and what Democrats might do differently. Michael's Substack Piece on Trump's Approval The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Is Trump's Approval Too High?

  4. Oct 9

    Midterm Money, Botched Executions, Trump Ads & Measles

    With the 2026 midterms less than four weeks away, Republicans still hold a major financial advantage—but increasingly have to decide which House and Senate races are worth saving. Mike and his fellow political scientist Michael Levy look at GOP spending pullbacks, Democratic opportunities, whether polls may still underestimate Republican support, and what it could all mean for control of the Senate. Next, Tennessee’s second botched execution this year raises a larger question: is the problem lethal injection, or the death penalty itself? The guys discuss wrongful convictions, the economics and deterrent value of capital punishment, whether executions should be public, and the moral distance between supporting an execution and actually carrying one out. Then they turn to the Trump administration’s use of taxpayer money for ads promoting the president and his policies. Mike argues the spending was almost certainly illegal regardless of whether the ads qualify as propaganda, while the two consider why Trump picked this fight—and whether Democratic outrage plays directly into his political strategy. Finally, Pennsylvania’s massive measles outbreak leads to a broader discussion of falling childhood vaccination rates, growing vaccine skepticism, RFK Jr., Trump’s false claims about the MMR vaccine, and Ken Paxton’s investigation of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Michael’s Substack The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Midterm Money, Botched Executions, Trump Ads & Measles

  5. Oct 7

    Can Congress Still Govern? Tim Ryan on Crypto and the CLARITY Act

    Former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan joins Mike to discuss why Congress has become less capable of governing—and whether it can still handle complex issues like cryptocurrency regulation. They talk about congressional dysfunction, concentrated leadership power, the decline of congressional expertise, earmarks, and the incentives that discourage lawmakers from taking political risks. Then they turn to the CLARITY Act and the future of crypto regulation. Ryan makes the case for Congress setting clear rules for digital assets, while Mike presses him on an understaffed CFTC, Trump’s crypto interests, Democratic opposition in the Senate, industry campaign spending, community banks, and whether a lame-duck session may be the best chance to get legislation passed. Tim Ryan on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Can Congress Still Govern? Tim Ryan on Crypto and the CLARITY Act

  6. Oct 6

    Major Political Events: The 2000 Election Part 1

    On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (Oklahoma Christian University) and Justin Holmes (University of Northern Iowa) launch a brand-new miniseries examining key structural, legal, and constitutional turning points in contemporary American politics. In Part 1 of a three-part retrospective on the 2000 Presidential Election, Trey and Justin bypass the immediate impulse to jump straight to the Florida recounts and Bush v. Gore. Instead, they analyze the campaign fundamentals, economic voting models, strategic messaging blunders, third-party dynamics, and election night anomalies that turned a booming 1990s economy into a dead-heat coin toss between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Major Political Events: The 2000 Election Part 1

  7. Oct 2

    Article I Spending Battles, Performative Oversight Memes, Midterm Campaign Realities, and Fiscal Federalism

    On this week’s episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (Oklahoma Christian University) is joined by Justin Holmes (University of Northern Iowa). The hosts open with a discussion on an impoundment or recession request to House Speaker Mike Johnson proposing budget cuts just days before the fiscal year ends. Trey and Justin explain how such recessions have happened before and how they clash with Article I spending power, before agreeing that despite the Government Accountability Office’s standing to sue, this creates a new precedent for power for all presidents.  Next, the pair examine the viral oversight blunder during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Senate Judiciary Committee testimony where Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) accused Smith of perjury for allegedly attending an Atlanta Hawks NBA game to coordinate prosecutions with Fani Willis. The guys walk through the viral fallout, including Senator Katie Britt’s reaction, but even more importantly how modern media incentives encourage politicians to double down on false accusations and distract from the larger substantive issues that could be investigated.  After that, Trey and Justin look at the fresh economic indicators, including Federal Reserve interest rates and below-average September job growth, as being headwinds to Republicans in the midterm. This includes a conversation on the deeply flawed campaigns of Democrats. The pair closes the show by looking at a federal district judge blocking the White House from withholding counterterrorism and FEMA security grants from municipalities (including Nashville and Harris County) that refused to adopt new federal election rules requiring citizenship verification for voters and poll workers. This leads to an extended conversation on President Trump’s use of the judicial system. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    Article I Spending Battles, Performative Oversight Memes, Midterm Campaign Realities, and Fiscal Federalism

  8. Sep 30

    How Algorithms Are Gouging Us

    Mike talks with Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative and author of Gouged: The End of a Fair Price and What That Means for Your Wallet, about how new technologies are changing what companies know about consumers—and how much they can charge them. They discuss an Instacart experiment that found shoppers being shown different prices for identical groceries, the RealPage controversy over algorithmic rent-setting, and the growing use of dynamic and surveillance pricing. Lindsay explains why the shift from posted prices toward individualized “willingness to pay” pricing could fundamentally change how markets work. Mike and Lindsay also dig into junk fees and all-in pricing, right-to-repair restrictions, deliberately difficult subscription cancellations, and “algorithmic wages” that may allow companies to pay workers different amounts for essentially identical work. They close with Lindsay’s proposed “shopper’s bill of rights,” the political prospects for stronger consumer protections, and why consumer backlash may be one of the most effective checks on increasingly sophisticated pricing technology. Lindsay Owens on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.

    How Algorithms Are Gouging Us
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4.4
out of 5
752 Ratings

About

The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. 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.

Information

  • Creator
    The Politics Guys - Government Democracy & News
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Michael Baranowski
  • Show Website
    The Politics Guys

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