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Artwork for The Science of Politics

The Science of Politics

Niskanen Center
Donald Trump
Political Polarization
Trump Administration
Congress
Public Opinion
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Partisanship
Artificial Intelligence
Tariffs
Culture War
Interest Groups
Covid-19
Polarization
Cultural Issues
2018 Midterm Elections
Executive Power
Public Health Policy
Government Response
Future Pandemics

The Niskanen Center’s The Science of Politics podcast features up-and-coming researchers delivering fresh insights on the big trends driving American politics today. Get beyond punditry to data-driven understanding of today’s Washington with host and political scientist Matt Grossmann. Each 30-45-minute episode covers two new cutting-edge studies and interviews two researchers. We welcome your tho... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes223Founded9 years ago
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Artwork for The Science of Politics

Latest Episodes

The Supreme Court’s voting rights decision is upending the midterm election and raising concerns about its role in democratic backsliding. Thomas Keck finds that the Court has rarely helped maintain democratic guardrails in threatening periods. But t... more

Economic inequality is high and rising, without much political response. Most stay that's because our political institutions overrepresent the views of the rich. But Andrew Taylor finds that poor Americans don’t prioritize solving inequality or redis... more

Trust in American elections has declined since President Trump failed to concede the 2020 election. But voters do have real concerns about electoral institutions born of not knowing the process well. Jennifer Gaudette finds that election officials ca... more

Rural America has moved toward strong Republican voting even though Republican governance helps explain worse health outcomes in rural areas, from hospital closures to opioid policies. Michael Shepherd finds that rural areas disproportionately suffer... more

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Recent Guests

Thomas Keck
Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Episode: Are the Courts contributing to democratic backsliding?
Albert Rivero
Author of Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy article on Partisan Hacks
Virginia
Episode: Are the Courts contributing to democratic backsliding?
Andrew Taylor
Professor at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
Episode: Political Inequality Isn’t Responsible for Economic Inequality
Jennifer Gaudette
Co-author of election law journal article on information campaigns to restore trust in elections
University of California, Riverside
Episode: Can we improve trust in elections if the losers don’t concede?
Michael Shepherd
Researcher at University of Michigan; author of forthcoming Rural Pain, Republican Gain
University of Michigan
Episode: Why rural areas vote Republican despite worse health outcomes
Pepper Culpepper
Professor at Oxford University
University of Oxford
Episode: Can corporate scandals reinvigorate democracy?
Taeku Lee
Professor at Harvard University
Harvard University
Episode: Can corporate scandals reinvigorate democracy?
Laura Field
Author of Furious Minds; Princeton-based political theorist
Princeton University
Episode: The intellectual support for Trumpism
Carlos Algara
Professor at Claremont Graduate University, author of Dynamics of Partisan Competition for Legislative Majorities in the US
Claremont Graduate University
Episode: What Predicts Midterm Election Results?

Host

Matt Grossmann
Host of The Science of Politics

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 96 ratings
  • Getting in bed with fascists

    This was a pretty solid podcast until they decided to get onboard with a couple of fascist Kennedy supporters peddling brain dead anti-anti-conventional wisdom about Covid. Now I’m going back over what the Niskanen Center has done elsewhere worried that I missed signs of their slide into misanthropic anti-democracy.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    elonruinedtwitter
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great for academics and students

    This is a great way to introduce students to political science research; it also keeps me up to date with current scholarship!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dbenbailey
    United States2 years ago
  • Great idea, needs reformatting

    Five stars for the content, host, and idea behind this podcast. It is much needed. However, it needs reformatting. It can be very difficult to follow weaving in and out of interviewees. Stick to one paper then move onto the next. Put yourself in the shoes of a podcast listener. We aren’t taking notes and aren’t paying close attention to names. We’re exercising, cooking, commuting. Make it as easy as possible to follow. In any case, please keep it up. It’s been very important for me to keep up wi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mitchell.33
    United States5 years ago
  • A Podcast on Political Science for the Political Scientist

    They do an incredible job bringing cutting-edge political science research to relevant topics based on current events. Many of the guests are relative unknowns, so the listener learns about ideas and perspectives they will rarely find anywhere else.

    Justin Kempf

    Democracy Paradox

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    justin kempf
    United States5 years ago
  • Who you poll

    I don’t know who you are polling but I can tell you in my lifetime I have not engaged so much in daily life with so many people that are into a conspiracy like Q. Once more I am seeing it preached from the pulpit and corrupting the public trust in both church and state. Also something I’ve not seen before, the marketing of it is now with signs on bridges and highways in my local community. So your polling is missing something and quite frankly it is very dangerous to public servants. Furthe... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    EvenMySatireNameisTaken
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate access to lesser-known researchers and fresh findings.
Future improvements could include clearer episode structure and smoother transitions.
Some criticism about audio levels and interview pacing, suggesting format tweaks.
Overall quality praised for data-driven insights and relevance to current politics.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Are the Courts contributing to democratic backsliding?
Q: What changed in the 2020s and 2024 that makes the Court look more partisan in its decisions on electoral democracy?
The Court's decisions around presidential immunity and election-related cases in 2020-2024 appear to tilt in a pro-administration, pro-conservative direction, suggesting a capture by partisan coalitions, though some decisions continue to resist wholesale partisan obedience in other areas.
Are the Courts contributing to democratic backsliding?
Q: How do you interpret the Voting Rights Act cases and the active versus passive roles of the Court?
The Court's conservative majority has pursued a long-term project to roll back civil rights provisions, and in voting rights cases it often aligns with partisan goals, which can be framed as either a failure to check abuses or an active undermining of core protections depending on the perspective.
Are the Courts contributing to democratic backsliding?
Q: What did you find in the historical arc of the Court's guardrail function across crisis periods?
The Court has not consistently protected electoral democracy across crises; at times it aligned with anti-democratic efforts, and in one notable pre-Watergate period it acted as a guardrail, but overall it has frequently fallen short, especially when executive or legislative powers threaten democratic norms.
Why rural areas vote Republican despite worse health outcomes
Q: How much of this is a general story about geographic polarization versus something unique to health policy?
While health policy is the focus, there is evidence that the dynamics extend to other areas, though caution is needed about generalizing beyond health policy; the core mechanism—elite framing and place-based identity—appears broadly applicable but not universal across all issues.
Why rural areas vote Republican despite worse health outcomes
Q: So tell us about the findings and takeaways from your forthcoming book, Rural Pain, Republican Gain. What did you find?
The book documents that rural health disparities have deep policy origins, that health outcomes feed back into political attitudes via a rural health spiral, and that elite framing—especially linking health policy to immigration and race—shapes voting behavior more than raw policy outcomes themselves.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Science of Politics

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

Two researchers are featured per episode to discuss cutting-edge political science findings and their real-world implications. Topics span economic and political inequality, trust in elections, rural health and voting, media incentives in culture wars, and the governance of money in politics. The format combines a host-led overview of recent studies with in-depth interviews, emphasizing data-driven analysis over punditry. Noteworthy is the consistent pairing of researchers from top universities with a policy-focused lens, aiming to translate complex research into practical takeaways for practitioners and policymakers.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Science of Politics?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Science of Politics:

1. Central Air
2. The Argument
3. Politix
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. We the People

How many episodes of The Science of Politics are there?

The Science of Politics launched 9 years ago and published 223 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 Science of Politics?

Recent guests on The Science of Politics include:

1. Thomas Keck
2. Albert Rivero
3. Andrew Taylor
4. Jennifer Gaudette
5. Michael Shepherd
6. Pepper Culpepper
7. Taeku Lee
8. Laura Field

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