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Donald Trump
Trump Administration
Supreme Court
U.S. Constitution
Ukraine
Tariffs
Iran
Government Shutdown
Russia
Congress
Democratic Party
Conservatism
Democracy
Affordable Care Act
Marxism
Trump
Gerrymandering
Federalist Papers
American Politics
Tax Cuts

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 multi... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1108Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsEducationPolitics

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Artwork for The Politics Guys

Latest Episodes

Mike and Ken discuss another volatile week in U.S. politics, starting with the escalating conflict with Iran, Trump’s claims of a looming peace deal, the inflationary fallout from energy shocks, and whether Iran or the U.S. has more leverage as the w... more

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

Mike and Jay open with the increasingly strange U.S. war with Iran, where a still-closed Strait of Hormuz, murky ceasefire claims, stalled negotiations, and a House war powers vote have raised major questions about Trump’s strategy. Jay argues that I... more

YouTube

This episode explores the constitutional powers of the U.S. President as outlined in Article II, Section 2, including the roles of Commander-in-Chief, treaty-making, appointments, and removal of officials. Topics covered include: Explicit presidentia... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Thomas Berry
Director of the Cato Institute's Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review
Cato Institute
Episode: Originalism, Executive Power, and the Roberts Court
Lamar Alexander
Former Governor of Tennessee, U.S. Senator, author of The Education of a Senator
Former Governor of Tennessee; United States Senator
Episode: Lamar Alexander: The Education of a Senator
Marty Makary
Johns Hopkins surgeon and former FDA commissioner nominee, discussed as departing FDA leadership
Johns Hopkins University
Episode: China and Iran, Alabama’s Shadow, Eileen Wang, Dr. Marty Makary
Kirby Goodell
Special guest from Texas, host of Inside Political Science
Texas, Host of Inside Political Science
Episode: DHS Funding, Comey Indictment, GOP Crack-Up?
Kirby Goidel
Professor of political science at Texas A&M, special guest
Texas A&M University
Episode: Voting Rights, Political Violence, Iran
Corey Nathan
Host of Talkin Politics & Religion Without Killin Each Other
Talkin Politics & Religion Without Killin Each Other
Episode: Why The Midterms Will Be Disappointing
Jay Carson
Cleveland area attorney and defender of freedom
Episode: Ceasefires, Culture Wars, and Constitutional Clashes
Dr. Michael Cohen
Founder and CEO of Cohen Research Group, author of 'Modern Political Campaigns'
Cohen Research Group
Episode: A.I. in Political Campaigns
Julie Sweet
Director of Advocacy and Industry Relations for the American Association of Political Consultants, author of the AI Compliance Guide
American Association of Political Consultants
Episode: A.I. in Political Campaigns

Hosts

Trey Orndorff
Political scientist; host of The Politics Guys; affiliated with Oklahoma Christian University
Michael Baranowski
Host of The Politics Guys; political scientist; emeritus professor; law and policy expert

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 904 ratings
  • Great show, grounded in facts

    Have listened for many years. The hosts do a great job tackling the poltical issues facing the United States. Often a good debate, with an overall grounding towards objective facts and fairness

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ekmcguir
    United States4 months ago
  • BIPARTISAN????

    Merriam-Webster defines Bipartisan “involving members of two parties”, adding “specifically: marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties”

    This show promotes itself as bipartisan, but it would be better described as moderately liberal. I have been searching for a source for meaningful, civil, discussion between the two major parties. I am desperate to hear the arguments from both sides of the isle. Based on the tag line in Apple Podcasts “Bi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Gepson
    United States5 months ago
  • Guest recommendation

    In your Jan 3 2026 episode - a good episode - one of you suggested “a series on maybe constitutional amendments you would add if we're not going to rewrite the Constitution.”

    As far as I know, you have not had Maxwell Stearns as a guest. He is the author of Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy,” and a respected professor of law and game theory at the University of Maryland law school. His book proposes just three such amendments would be suf... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    GaryMorehead
    United States5 months ago
  • Loved Michael

    I haven’t been listening for a

    While as it went all wonky but listened to this episode with Michael and it was great. Way better than Sam as originally planned!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Tellin’ it like it is
    United States9 months ago
  • The uhh podcast

    Used to love this podcast, but the new hosts are hard to listen to with all the “uhh’s”. Combine that with zero pushback to easily debatable MAGA talking points, and it’s no longer worth listening to.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    1234MDB
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners value civil, evidence-based discourse and multi-perspective panels.
Guests with legal, policy, and academic expertise are frequently highlighted as strengths.
Overall production quality and thoughtful moderation are commonly praised.
Some listeners feel shifts toward a more liberal tilt; debates over perceived bias persist.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#105
Philippines/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#114
Taiwan/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#173
Indonesia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#238
Philippines/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Originalism, Executive Power, and the Roberts Court
Q: What is your take on the shadow docket and its impact on constitutional interpretation and governance?
The shadow docket has become a more active tool in urgent matters, but it should not replace full, reasoned opinions. It can be justified as a backstop for quick action in exceptional cases, yet it raises concerns about precedent and transparency when used extensively.
Originalism, Executive Power, and the Roberts Court
Q: How do you see stare decisis functioning in today's Supreme Court, especially given recent overturns of major precedents?
Stare decisis is weighed more variably when interpreting the Constitution; while it provides stability, the current court often prioritizes the integrity of original principles and text over maintaining past rulings, especially where those precedents rest on questionable first principles.
Originalism, Executive Power, and the Roberts Court
Q: You describe yourself as both an originalist and a textualist. Could you explain how you reconcile these approaches in practice?
I view originalism and textualism as closely aligned, with originalism applied to the Constitution and textualism to statutes. The key difference is dealing with older text and linguistic drift, ensuring interpretation stays faithful to the original public meaning while recognizing how language can shift in meaning over time.
Lamar Alexander: The Education of a Senator
Q: What lessons did you take from working with Presidents Obama and Trump?
He explains that respect for the office and pragmatic collaboration over personal criticism allowed progress on issues like No Child Left Behind and Great American Outdoors Act, despite policy disagreements.
Lamar Alexander: The Education of a Senator
Q: How do you view the role of the filibuster in achieving bipartisan outcomes?
He defends the filibuster as a mechanism that enforces broad agreement and prevents rushed policy, arguing it helps produce durable legislation that can gain widespread support.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Politics Guys

What is The Politics Guys about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show features a rotating panel of political scientists, lawyers, and policy experts who dissect American politics with civility and evidence-based reasoning. Episodes emphasize constitutional nuance, governance, elections, and public policy, often pairing liberal and conservative perspectives to illuminate tradeoffs and real-world implications. Noteworthy is the consistent focus on institutional dynamics, legal frameworks, and data-driven analysis, making it a solid choice for listeners seeking balanced, thoughtful discourse beyond partisan shouting matches.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Politics Guys?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Politics Guys. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Politics Guys and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Politics Guys get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Politics Guys, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Politics Guys?

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How many subscribers and views does The Politics Guys have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Politics Guys has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Politics Guys?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Politics Guys:

1. The Ezra Klein Show
2. KCRW's Left, Right & Center
3. The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer
4. The Al Franken Podcast
5. Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

How many episodes of The Politics Guys are there?

The Politics Guys launched 11 years ago and published 1108 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Politics Guys?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Politics Guys?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Politics Guys from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Politics Guys?

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What guests have appeared on The Politics Guys?

Recent guests on The Politics Guys include:

1. Thomas Berry
2. Lamar Alexander
3. Marty Makary
4. Kirby Goodell
5. Kirby Goidel
6. Corey Nathan
7. Jay Carson
8. Dr. Michael Cohen

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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