Rephonic
Artwork for Master Plan
Corruption
Campaign Finance Reform
Citizens United
Supreme Court
The Lever
Watergate
Richard Nixon
Heritage Foundation
Dark Money
Trump Administration
Howard Jarvis
Tax Cuts
Dairy Industry
Project 2025
Proposition 13
Campaign Finance Law
Common Cause
Prescription Drug Prices
Reaganomics
American Politics

SEASON TWO: THE KINGMAKERS IS HERE For early access to future episodes and exclusive bonus content, ⁠click here to upgrade to a paid subscription⁠ to The Lever. Master Plan, the award-winning investigative podcast series from The Lever, reveals the hidden forces behind today’s biggest problems — and how small groups of powerful people engineered those problems to serve their own interests. We are ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes29Founded2 years ago
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HistoryNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Master Plan

Latest Episodes

This week, the Iran War will reach its official 60-day mark. That’s a critical deadline under the War Powers Resolution, a Nixon-era law created to limit presidential war-making.

Under that law, President Donald Trump can claim a one-time, 30-day ex... more

YouTube

Rather than retreat from Iran-Contra and other scandals, conservative operatives inside the White House — led by Attorney General Edwin Meese — went on the offensive. Drawing on newly uncovered documents and exclusive interviews, we trace how Meese h... more

YouTube

Emboldened by a landslide election, the president’s men began to see themselves as 1980s action-movie heroes, willing to break the law to get what they want. The result was the Iran-Contra affair, a secret arms deal that ignited a constitutional cris... more

YouTube

How did Project 2025 take control of the White House? It all began decades ago, when a beer-baron-backed think tank handed President Ronald Reagan an 1,100-page instruction manual for expanding presidential power.

The next episode is available now f... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Josh Chaffetz
Georgetown University law and politics professor, expert on Congress and separation of powers
Georgetown University
Episode: BONUS: The Untouched Power That Could Stop The Iran War
Ed Meese
Former Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice / Heritage Foundation
Episode: Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers
John Bolton
Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General and later prominent hawk figure
U.S. Department of Justice / Private practice
Episode: Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers
Alexia Morrison
Independent Counsel appointed to investigate Ted Olson and related matters
Independent Counsel
Episode: Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers
Theodore Olson
Former U.S. Solicitor General; later figure in the EPA subpoena dispute
U.S. Department of Justice / Private practice
Episode: Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers
Charles Freed
U.S. Solicitor General
U.S. Department of Justice
Episode: Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers
Amanda Hollis-Bruski
Pomona College professor
Pomona College
Episode: Episode 1: After The Fall | The Kingmakers
Rick Perlstein
Historian, author of Nixonland
Historian
Episode: Episode 1: After The Fall | The Kingmakers
Howard Jarvis
Leader of California's Taxpayer Revolt, known for initiating Prop 13.
Episode: Introducing Tax Revolt: Where the Cult of Reaganomics Began

Host

David Sirota
Host and narrator of Master Plan; investigative journalist focusing on corruption, democracy, and power dynamics.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Oliver North

    I’m 60 and I lived through Regan’s corruption!! Bill Barr is known as Regan’s cover up king. North was a card carrying CRIMINAL!!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    nigey&jack
    United Statesa month ago
  • Important non partisan historical analysis

    This is a great podcast and worth a listen regardless of political perspective. It really gets to the heart of how misaligned the incentives are in our system. My one complaint is the sounds…I can appreciate their attempts at entertainment with audio clips and funny sounds being interspersed. The problem is it doesn’t work in a podcast. You can’t find the right volume aloud or with head phones, and you’re constantly worried about an obnoxious cash register ding or other unnecessary sound bite be... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PodFan123456
    United Statesa month ago
  • A good idea, but…

    Entirely too many sound bites.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    BeedleJM
    United Statesa month ago
  • Master Plan

    If you are a truth seeker, this is the podcast for you! David Sirota is an independent award-winning journalist who does the research and delivers. He reminds us of the history that many of us lived through in the seventies and teaches younger generations that history in order to understand how we got here. Check it out.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Costa Rican Granny
    United States2 months ago
  • Informative

    Podcast Addict
    5
    kokella
    4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Strong investigative rigor with compelling narration.
Thoughtful, well-researched history of power dynamics.
Audience sometimes critiques production choices but appreciates substance.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#125
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#177
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#214
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#83
Japan/History
Apple Podcasts
#188
Finland/History
Apple Podcasts
#201
New Zealand/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S1 BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)
Q: What can be done within the context of the current paradigm of the Supreme Court?
Top things include passing the Disclose Act to ensure transparency about who is funding campaigns.
S1 BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)
Q: How concerned should people be that on the Democratic side there have been billionaire mega donors who seem to be making specific demands on the Democratic nominee?
Yes, it absolutely is bad, and that's why we've been trying to get rid of dark money, because it clouds the public perception of both parties.
S1 BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)
Q: I want to ask you, looking forward, clearly if Donald Trump wins the election, nothing is going to happen on this.
If Kamala Harris wins the election, my big ask would be that we take, first of all, the big ask really only works if we hit the trifecta.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Master Plan

What is Master Plan about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorously reported, historically grounded series that traces the evolution of executive power and the limits of congressional authority in American politics. Across episodes, listeners hear deep dives into landmark legal battles, institutional reforms, and political strategies that shaped the balance between the presidency and Congress, often featuring renowned historians, former officials, and legal scholars. Noteworthy is the show's emphasis on archival material, investigative context, and a narrative style that connects past power plays to present-day debates about democracy and accountability. The program stands out for its thorough, document-driven storytelling and its ability to translate complex constitutional issues into accessib... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Master Plan?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Master Plan:

1. Lever Time
2. The Intercept Briefing
3. Drop Site News
4. Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
5. Strict Scrutiny

How many episodes of Master Plan are there?

Master Plan launched 2 years ago and published 29 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Master Plan?

Recent guests on Master Plan include:

1. Josh Chaffetz
2. Ed Meese
3. John Bolton
4. Alexia Morrison
5. Theodore Olson
6. Charles Freed
7. Amanda Hollis-Bruski
8. Rick Perlstein

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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