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. 14h ago

    Can Trump Settle With Himself? Rubio’s ICC War, Hegseth’s Purge, and the DSA Left

    This supporters’ exclusive midweek episode begins with a remarkable question: can a president sue his own government, negotiate with his own Justice Department, and call the result a legitimate settlement? Mike and Michael Levy unpack the judge’s ruling in Trump v. IRS, then turn to Marco Rubio’s campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court, Pete Hegseth’s removal of senior military leaders and push for testosterone screening, and the Democratic Socialists’ recent primary victories. Are Democrats facing their own Tea Party insurgency—or a movement whose appeal collapses outside deep-blue districts?  Check out Michael Levy’s Substack St. Thomas, by Sonny Rollins Become a new monthly supporter on Patreon and get your first month nearly free (90% off) with promo code 0943D, or become a new annual supporter and get an additional 10% off on top of the regular 10% annual supporter discount with promo code 9B50C. These offers are good until the end of July at patreon.com/politicsguys 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 Trump Settle With Himself? Rubio’s ICC War, Hegseth’s Purge, and the DSA Left

  2. 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.

    Introducing Explain Like I'm 5

  3. 4d ago

    Trump’s Election Fraud Claims, Iran War Redux, and Lindsey Graham’s Legacy

    Donald Trump says America’s elections are dangerously vulnerable—but did his primetime speech offer evidence, or lay the groundwork to contest a Republican midterm defeat? Mike and Michael Levy dissect Trump’s election-security claims, the SAVE Act, and the gap between genuine cybersecurity risks and unsupported allegations of noncitizen voting. They also examine the renewed U.S.-Iran war, the collapse of the Strait of Hormuz agreement, and whether Trump’s pressure campaign has any plausible endgame. Then they debate Lindsey Graham’s legacy: pragmatic dealmaker preserving his influence, or cautionary tale of a senator who recognized Trump’s danger and enabled it anyway? Finally, they turn to Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination, Justice Department independence, Trump’s IRS settlement, and the Epstein files. Check out Michael Levy’s Substack Become a new monthly supporter on Patreon and get your first month nearly free (90% off) with promo code 0943D, or become a new annual supporter and get an additional 10% off on top of the regular 10% annual supporter discount with promo code 9B50C. These offers are good until the end of July at patreon.com/politicsguys 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 Election Fraud Claims, Iran War Redux, and Lindsey Graham’s Legacy

  4. 6d ago

    Can Maine Kill the Super PAC? Larry Lessig’s Supreme Court Strategy

    Could a voter-approved law in Maine bring down the legal foundation of Super PACs without overturning Citizens United? Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig joins Mike to explain why he believes the lower-court ruling in SpeechNow v. FEC—not Citizens United—created today’s unlimited-contribution system, and why Maine’s overwhelmingly approved Super PAC contribution limits could give the Supreme Court a chance to correct that mistake. They discuss corruption, originalism, campaign coordination, democracy vouchers, public financing, and whether meaningful campaign finance reform remains politically possible. Lawrence Lessig on X Become a new monthly supporter on Patreon and get your first month nearly free (90% off) with promo code 0943D, or become a new annual supporter and get an additional 10% off on top of the regular 10% annual supporter discount with promo code 9B50C. These offers are good until the end of July at patreon.com/politicsguys 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 Maine Kill the Super PAC? Larry Lessig’s Supreme Court Strategy

  5. Jul 14

    Extended Republics and Expired War Bonds: Dissecting Federalist Papers 14, 15, and 16

    Political scientist Trey Orndorff and law professor Ken Katkin continue their ongoing Federalst Papers series. In this episode, Trey and Ken move past lofty philosophies of Federalist No. 10 to examine the raw mathematical, logistical, and financial realities that the Madison and Hamilton confronted as their argued for a more powerful national government. Topics covered include: Trey and Ken explore Madison at his most pragmatic. Facing fierce Anti-Federalist critiques that the American landmass was simply too large for a unified republic to function, Madison busts out the calculations to prove that no state representative is too far from the capital. The guys laugh at Madison's slightly (very) skewed size comparisons to Germany and a pre-partitioned Poland to make his point.Madison correctly predicting that future technological improvements will seamlessly shrink distances. Ken hooks this directly into modern constitutional law, analyzing how Justice Anthony Kennedy heavily channeled the spirit of Federalist 14 in his landmark concurring opinion in United States v. Lopez (1994) to explain the evolution of our integrated national economy.Hamilton argues that the U.S. has reached the final stage of "national humiliation," left with neither a unified treasury nor a standing military mechanism to enforce its own sovereignty. Trey and Ken trace Hamilton's fury back to his real-world experiences as an aide during the Revolutionary War and his deep financial roots as a founder of the Bank of New York, watching unpaid war bonds cripple the young nation’s global creditworthiness.And so much more!Don't forget that our July video campaign is in full swing! If you’ve been on the fence about upgrading your membership or extending your subscription, doing so this month gets you entered into a raffle for a free year of membership. Plus if 25 indiivudals subscribe or upgrade their support we launch video epsidoes of the show! 90% Off Your First Monthly Month: Use code 0943DTXT An Additional 10% Off Annual Support: Use code 9B50C 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.

    Extended Republics and Expired War Bonds: Dissecting Federalist Papers 14, 15, and 16

  6. Jul 10

    Trump's Imperial Presidency in Overdrive and Grahm Platner's Collapse

    Trey Orndorff and Ken Katkin tackle the ongoing volatilty of the U.S. / Iran conflict and its month-old Memorandum of Understanding falling apart. Ken argues there is no hope for peace until the next presidential elections. Trey is not sure even that event will end the violence fully. The pair also discuss the Friday morning mystery of the unclaimed bombs and who might be responsible. Next they discuss NATO and the discordent tone between Trump's demands to halt all U.S. trade with Spain and for Greenland to be purchased from Denmark. Trey and Ken look under the hood and find the real reasoning: Madrid's locking its airspace to American warplanes bound for Iran. They close with a discussion of the collapse Grahm Platner as a result of harrowing allegations of rape and domestic abuse. Trey argues that Democrats should have jumped ship long ago just on the basis of his written comments and his likely Nazi tattoo. Trey and Ken break down the strict state statutory deadlines for the Maine Democratic Committee to salvage the ballot, clash over whether a centrist replacement actually helps or hurts against incumbent Susan Collins, and dissect why primary voters are increasingly willing to overlook massive personal red flags to back an aggressive "fighter." We hear you! Everyone wants to know when The Politics Guys are finally launching video episodes on YouTube. We’ve got a promise for you: If 25 new supporters join or existing supporters increase their tier this month, we will officially start releasing some video episodes. Plus, anyone who signs up or upgrades in July will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a free year of membership at their current tier! 90% Off Your First Monthly Month: Use code 0943DAn Additional 10% Off Annual Support: Use code 9B50C 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 Imperial Presidency in Overdrive and Grahm Platner's Collapse

  7. Jul 8

    Scott Wiener on Housing, AI, and Democrats’ Build-or-Fail Moment

    Michael Levy talks with California State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, one of the country’s leading Democratic voices on housing policy, artificial intelligence, the abundance movement, LGBTQ rights, and sexual health policy. Wiener discusses how California’s housing crisis became a governance failure, why simply blaming Airbnb or corporate investors misses the larger supply problem, and what Democrats need to confront if they want to make blue-state government work. Michael and Scott also dig into San Francisco’s AI boom, the risks of frontier AI, job displacement, public transit, homelessness, California’s slow ballot counting, Jewish and LGBTQ politics, Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat, and why Wiener thinks Democrats need to use power more aggressively if they return to control in Washington.  Follow Scott on X Become a new monthly supporter on Patreon and get your first month nearly free (90% off) with promo code 0943D, or become a new annual supporter and get an additional 10% off on top of the regular 10% annual supporter discount with promo code 9B50C. These offers are good until the end of July at patreon.com/politicsguys 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.

    Scott Wiener on Housing, AI, and Democrats’ Build-or-Fail Moment

  8. Jul 7

    The Supreme Court on Mail Ballots, Trans Sports Bans, and Campaign Spending Limits

    This supporters’ exclusive midweek episode digs into three major Supreme Court rulings with big implications for elections, transgender athletes, and campaign finance. Mike and Jay start with Watson v. Republican National Committee, where the Court upheld Mississippi’s post-election mail ballot receipt window and debated whether “Election Day” means ballots must be received — or merely cast — by then. They then turn to the Court’s ruling allowing West Virginia and Idaho to restrict girls’ and women’s sports to biological females, with Mike and Jay unpacking Title IX, equal protection, intermediate scrutiny, and the hard factual questions around transgender athletes who never underwent male puberty. Finally, they take on National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC, where the Court struck down limits on coordinated party spending with candidates, raising familiar but still combustible questions about money, speech, corruption, political parties, Super PACs, and whether campaign finance law is mostly just constitutional whack-a-mole. Become a new monthly supporter on Patreon and get your first month nearly free (90% off) with promo code 0943D, or become a new annual supporter and get an additional 10% off on top of the regular 10% annual supporter discount with promo code 9B50C. These offers are good until the end of July at patreon.com/politicsguys 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.

    The Supreme Court on Mail Ballots, Trans Sports Bans, and Campaign Spending Limits
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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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