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Politics in Question: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Julia Azari, Lee Drutman, and James Wallner
A podcast about how our political institutions are failing us and ideas for fixing them. Join hosts Lee Drutman and James Wallner as they imagine and argue over what American politics could look like if citizens questioned everything. Politics In Question is a joint venture of New America and the Foundation for American Innovation.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Oct 5, 202641 min
Is Congress Too Old?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James talk about the issue of gerontocracy in American politics. Why do some people see an aging Congress as a problem? Would a maximum age limit require a constitutional amendment? Why aren't elections enough to solve the problem? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Aug 26, 20261h 0m
How Do We Build and Break Power?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Alex Hertel-Fernandez and Jamila Michener about what power building might look like for the next pro-democracy government. Hertel-Fernandez is the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and is leading the Empowering Democracy Initiative. Michener is a Professor of Government and Public Policy at Cornell University and co-author, with Mallory E. SoRelle, of the new book Uncivil Democracy: How Access to Justice Shapes Political Power (Princeton University Press, 2026). Is deliverism not enough? How can power be created and distributed through people and policy? What are the levers government has to make organizing easier? These are some of the questions Lee explores in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Aug 26, 202656 min
Who Controls the Party?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James chat with Georgia Kernell about how parties choose their candidates. Kernell is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and author of Inside Parties: How Party Rules Shape Membership and Responsiveness (Cambridge University Press, 2025). How does party membership outside of the U.S. function? Do members have actual control or only symbolic control within a party? Could a decentralized party structure give a minority faction a vehicle to "capture" government? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Jul 7, 202640 min
What Happened to the Republican Party?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James chat with Seth Masket about how Trump voters fundamentally changed the Republican Party. Masket is a professor of political science at the University of Denver and the author of the Substack the @smotus report, as well as his new book, The Elephants in the Room: How Trump Voters Seized the Party from Republican Leaders (Cambridge University Press, 2026). Who are typically county-party chairs? What was the pivot moment in the Republican Party’s transformation? What effect did Trump's 2023 indictments have on county chairs' support for him? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Jun 15, 202639 min
What Makes the Working Families Party Work?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Tabitha Abu El-Haj about the power of associational party building. Abu El-Haj is a professor of law at Drexel University and the author of a new report, A Model for Associational Party Building (New America, 2026). How does associational party building work under the constraints of the two-party system? What are the key components of an associational party? Why hasn't this associational model spread more broadly? These are some of the questions Lee explores in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- May 27, 202649 min
What’s Wrong with Political Parties?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James chat with Didi Kuo about how to fix political parties. Kuo is a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and co-author, alongside Lee Drutman, of a new report, A Blueprint for Healthier Political Parties (New America, 2026). Why do we need strong political parties? Are parties failing because of internal choices or outside forces? Why does every election feel existential? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- May 27, 202646 min
What Can Stop the Redistricting Wars?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James discuss the Supreme Court's recent redistricting ruling and what it means for American democracy. The case out of Louisiana — in which the Court's conservative majority struck down a majority-Black congressional district — has helped unleash a mid-decade gerrymandering frenzy, with Texas, California, Florida, and Virginia all redrawing their maps. What are the political consequences of these decisions? Is mid-decade redistricting the new normal? What does this mean for the future of governance? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore. Why do we need strong political parties? Are parties failing because of internal choices or outside forces? Why does every election feel existential? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Apr 20, 202630 min
What Are the Rules and Procedures to SAVE America?
In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James chat about the SAVE America Act. What is the partisan tension behind putting up a voter ID bill? How could this policy harm Republicans? What is the relationship between cloture and filibusters? These are some of the questions that Lee and James explore this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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About Politics in Question
A podcast about how our political institutions are failing us and ideas for fixing them. Join hosts Lee Drutman and James Wallner as they imagine and argue over what American politics could look like if citizens questioned everything. Politics In Question is a joint venture of New America and the Foundation for American Innovation.
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