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The Focus Group Podcast

The Bulwark
Donald Trump
Biden Administration
Tiktok
2024 Election
Focus Groups
Covid-19
Republican Voters Against Trump
Bytedance
Congress
Joe Biden
Data Privacy
National Security
Gen Z
Republican Party
2024 Presidential Election
Swing Voters
Georgia
China
Israel-Hamas War
Larry Hogan

Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say. www.thebulwa... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes144Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Focus Group Podcast

Latest Episodes

Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Ameri... more

A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with ... more

The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to P... more

Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing ... more

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Recent Guests

David Axelrod
Senior Political Commentator at CNN and Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics
CNN; University of Chicago
Episode: S6 Ep29: Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)
Ed Elson
Host of the Prof G Markets podcast with Scott Galloway
Prof G Markets
Episode: S6 Ep27: What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)
Elaine Godfrey
Staff writer at The Atlantic
The Atlantic
Episode: S6 Ep26: Twitter vs. Texans (with Elaine Godfrey)
Eric Benson
Senior writer at Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Episode: S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)
Margie Omero
Principal at GBAO and frequent contributor to the New York Times
GBAO
Episode: S6 Ep24: Two Qual Researchers Walk Into a Bar (with Margie Omero)
Bill Kristol
Editor at large at The Bulwark
The Bulwark
Episode: S6 Ep20: Playing Stupid Games, Winning Stupid Prizes (with Bill Kristol)
Jonathan Chait
Staff writer at The Atlantic
The Atlantic
Episode: S6 Ep19: What a Difference a Year Makes (with Jonathan Chait)
Robert Draper
Staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of Weapons of Mass Delusion, When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind
New York Times
Episode: S6 Ep17: America on Tape: A Brutal (and Hopeful) Year
Jonathan Cohn
Author of The Breakdown newsletter for The Bulwark and expert on health care policy.
The Bulwark
Episode: S6 Ep16: MAGA's 'Crunchy' Surprise (with Jonathan Cohn)

Host

Sarah Longwell
Host of The Focus Group Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 3.1k ratings
  • Texas

    Always a worthwhile listen bc I learn something but some raise my blood pressure more than others. Trump voters make me crazy!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mrvlous
    Canadaa month ago
  • Can’t Miss

    Such a great show with thoughtful framing of the concepts being discussed in the focus groups. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to the answers, but it’s important to hear what people are actually saying.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Karicooks
    United Statesa month ago
  • Gen Z thoughts

    Sarah, I appreciate your research focus on Gen Z. That said, I’m a 29 year old and I don’t feel like a lot of the commentary around Gen Z applies to me, or a lot of my peers. We all had normal high school and college experiences. There’s a large subset of Gen Z that had their high school & college years impacted by Covid. I can’t help but wonder if a global pandemic might’ve interrupted such formative years for young people. They didn’t get the social experiences out of HS/college that most peop... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ChrisDaPug1
    United States2 months ago
  • It’s good to hear from American public

    I enjoy this podcast, BUT, there are too many dang commercials. I counted 4 ads before I finished listening! Can the ads be placed at the beginning or end of the podcast and not every 7 min or so? I’d hate to stop listening. Thanks

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Zeegha
    United States2 months ago
  • ✌️

    I wish the show had an actual HOST who facilitated a discussion with other political ppl about the data from the groups. it's basically Sarah giving her opinions about the content and i'm just not here for that. unfollowing

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    J. Sims, Jr.
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests are highly credible, bringing depth to focus-group data.
Advertising cadence is a point of contention for بعض listeners.
Voters' perspectives are clearly foregrounded, offering actionable insights for messaging.
Some listeners crave more host-led discussion and less crowd-driven dialogue.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#49
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#129
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#92
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#229
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#118
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#81
New Zealand/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S6 Ep27: What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)
Q: How do you think crypto and gambling apps should be regulated to protect young investors without stifling innovation?
Regulation should target insider trading and fraud while preserving legitimate investing and informational use of markets; build consumer protections and transparency without killing the experimental and educational value of prediction markets.
S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)
Q: What do you make of that in terms of the story that it tells about just where our politics is headed?
It is interesting thinking about how anyone ever evaluated a US Senator.
S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)
Q: Is Sharia law coming to Texas?
Doesn't seem that way to me, but it does, I think, seem that way to a lot of Texans.
S6 Ep17: America on Tape: A Brutal (and Hopeful) Year
Q: What do participants think about potential changes to the filibuster?
There were mixed feelings on eliminating the filibuster. While some expressed the need for it to get things done, others argued for the importance of maintaining checks and balances in government processes.
S6 Ep16: MAGA's 'Crunchy' Surprise (with Jonathan Cohn)
Q: What are they doing to deal with this?
Doctors need to meet people where they are and listen to their concerns seriously about vaccines.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Focus Group Podcast

What is The Focus Group Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show provides on-the-ground insights from focus groups to illuminate how everyday voters think about politics, policy, and current events. Episodes consistently tackle voter sentiment on topics like electability, immigration, health care, economic issues, and partisan dynamics, often through conversations with guests who are journalists, pollsters, or policy analysts. A standout feature is the fly-on-the-wall format that foregrounds ordinary voters' perspectives, sometimes sparked by high-profile political moments, and then contextualized by expert hosts and guests. The show's openness to a wide range of viewpoints—paired with detailed qualitative data—offers listeners a nuanced view of how different voter segments reason and talk abou... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Focus Group Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Focus Group Podcast:

1. The Next Level
2. The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell
3. Bulwark Takes
4. The Bulwark Podcast
5. The Mona Charen Show

How many episodes of The Focus Group Podcast are there?

The Focus Group Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 144 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 The Focus Group Podcast?

Recent guests on The Focus Group Podcast include:

1. David Axelrod
2. Ed Elson
3. Elaine Godfrey
4. Eric Benson
5. Margie Omero
6. Bill Kristol
7. Jonathan Chait
8. Robert Draper

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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