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PODCAST

The Preamble

The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history. An Audacy Podcast.

education

All Episodes

47:00

From the Printing Press to AI, Why Fascists Fear...

The Preamble ·

2025/11/03

Five centuries ago, Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press shattered the barriers to knowledge. Today, AI is doing the same. Sharon takes you on a journey into history that is strikingly similar to where we are today. Plus, she’s joined by Randi Weingarten, author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers whom critics have called “the most dangerous person in the world.” Together, they explore why teachers remain democracy’s first line of defense against authoritarianism.And Sharon answers your most pressing

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41:12

Government Shutdown, White House Renovations, and...

The Preamble ·

2025/10/30

Welcome to the very first episode of The Preamble!Sharon kicks things off with a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday to chat about his new book, Wisdom Takes Work. Ryan shares how reading can be a superpower, allowing us to “communicate with the dead” and learn from those who came before us. And, he explains what you can do to become more wise today. Plus, Sharon answers your most pressing questions from today’s headlines: The ongoing U.S. government

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1:44

The Preamble Trailer

The Preamble ·

2025/10/20

The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising

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26:29

Hannah Van Buren’s Journey from Dutch Heritage to...

The Preamble ·

2025/10/13

Though Hannah Van Buren died nearly twenty years before her husband’s presidency, her life reflected the sweeping historical forces of early America. Sharon unpacks the Dutch roots of New Amsterdam (today’s New York), how they shaped both Hannah and Martin Van Buren, and the lasting influence they left on the nation.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy

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27:52

The Scandalous Second Marriage of Rachel Jackson

The Preamble ·

2025/10/06

Despite being one of Sharon’s least-favorite Presidents, she explores the lifelong, and at times scandalous, love and devotion between President Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel. It's a story of a First Lady who never got the opportunity to step foot inside the White House, but nevertheless, left her mark on her husband’s two-term presidency.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about

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34:50

The Diplomatic Prowess of Louisa Adams

The Preamble ·

2025/09/29

Stepping into the White House at the close of the Founding Fathers’ era, London-born Louisa Adams became the nation’s first foreign-born First Lady. In an age of prosperity shadowed by growing political strife, she turned personal tragedy into resilience, mastering the art of influence, forging powerful alliances, and leaving her mark on history as she helped shape John Quincy Adams’s path to the presidency.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck

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2:41

Presenting: The C-Word

The Preamble ·

2025/09/25

With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a woman “crazy.” The C-Word was originally published behind a paywall from 2019 - 2022. This is the first time it’s being released to all major podcast

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29:10

The Quiet Bravery of Elizabeth Monroe

The Preamble ·

2025/09/22

Sharon delves into the fascinating yet often overlooked life of Elizabeth Monroe. As First Lady, her health struggles and preference for formality set her apart, leaving a unique legacy that redefined White House traditions. From her early days in a wealthy New York family to her daring act of saving the life of a well-known French aristocrat during the French Revolution, Elizabeth's story is one of quiet strength and resilience. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising

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32:22

Hostess in Chief: Dolley Madison's Impact on American...

The Preamble ·

2025/09/15

It’s time to meet the woman who set the gold standard for the role of First Lady. With her natural charm and lively spirit, Dolley Madison hosted countless gatherings for Washington’s elite, turning social events into powerful political tools. Through the art of entertaining, she not only shaped the culture of the capital, but also advanced the influence and career of the nation’s fourth president, James Madison. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie

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28:04

Martha Jefferson and the Women of Monticello

The Preamble ·

2025/09/08

Thomas Jefferson’s wife Martha died nearly twenty years before he took office, yet history still lists her as an official First Lady. Jefferson never remarried, but two very important women supported him through his years as a widower in ways few people know. Their stories were already intertwined long before Jefferson entered the picture, and their influence would leave a mark on the presidency itself.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck

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30:21

Abigail Adams Abroad

The Preamble ·

2025/09/01

Today, we’d call them the ultimate power couple. Abigail Adams, one of America’s most beloved First Ladies, sets sail across the Atlantic to join her husband, John, in the glittering city of Paris. But their story doesn’t end in Europe. Returning to Boston, the couple quickly steps onto a new stage together as President and First Lady of a young America. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more

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30:41

Secrets of the Two Theodosias

The Preamble ·

2025/08/25

Sharon takes us into the intertwined lives of the two women who shaped Aaron Burr. Their stories reveal brilliant minds, an unquenchable hunger for knowledge, the griefs of motherhood, and the weight of untimely tragedy. Sharon turns over the stones of their lives and explores a disappearance at sea, a mysteriously scavenged portrait, and a family secret.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more

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29:59

The Life of America’s First Lady Martha Washington

The Preamble ·

2025/08/18

Sharon explores the life of America’s first First Lady, Martha Washington, highlighting the many ways she shaped her family, the presidency, and the nation itself. Though the formal title of “First Lady” didn’t yet exist, she was affectionately known as “Lady Washington” and respected as George’s “worthy partner.” Sharon dives into many of lesser known details of her life like her first marriage, her open home policy, and her views on slavery.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon

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42:21

A Personal History of the 1960s with Doris Kearns...

The Preamble ·

2025/08/11

Imagine being a Pulitzer Prize winning presidential historian, knowing you had extraordinarily rare primary source material and Presidential memorabilia tucked away in the cellar of your own home… and not opening it for decades? Doris Kearns Goodwin joins us today to share her journey of exploring more than 300 boxes, alongside her husband of 42 years, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, that served as a time capsule of his service in the 1960s. In the relay race of democracy, you never know who will pick up

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33:56

America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar

The Preamble ·

2025/08/04

In a time when division often makes the headlines, what truly binds us together? Sharon sits down with Yale constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to explore why the U.S. Constitution remains a powerful force in bringing Americans together. Despite our different regions, backgrounds, cultures, and even languages, what we share is a constitutional framework and the historic events and documents that shaped our nation. Amar reflects on his own journey as a first‑generation American, from the

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46:27

Amending the Constitution with Russ Feingold

The Preamble ·

2025/07/28

What would it take to update the Constitution and should we try? Sharon is joined by former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold to explore this question from his book, The Constitution in Jeopardy. Together, they unpack the tools the framers gave to evolve the founding document, including the never before used, and deeply controversial, Constitutional Convention. Could such a convention be a path to necessary reform, or a backdoor to dismantling democracy itself?Credits: Host and Executive

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41:28

The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket with Stephen Vladeck

The Preamble ·

2025/07/21

With approval ratings of The Supreme Court at a historic low, what can Congress and the average American citizen do to hold the court accountable, and foster transparency? Sharon welcomes law professor Stephen Vladeck to nerd out about all things Supreme Court. Stephen dives into the elusive behind-the-scenes “shadow docket,” and how 99% of what the court does is in the shadows – without public hearings, and without explanation. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising

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44:51

Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments...

The Preamble ·

2025/07/14

When we know a loved one is about to die, how can we best hold space for them in the in-between? Sharon is joined by Hadley Vlahos, RN, who has written a bestselling book, The In-Between, about her experiences working as a hospice nurse. Hadley walks us through the discomfort of death with great compassion and empathy while considering what it means to live well, and to die well. She also reflects on the mysterious, often unexplainable experiences shared across faiths and beliefs, encouraging us to

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53:11

Poverty In America with Matthew Desmond

The Preamble ·

2025/07/07

We all know that poverty is an existing problem in the United States, but what does that really mean in a country with so much wealth? Sharon is joined by Matthew Desmond, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and the founding director of the Eviction Lab. Together, they discuss his best-selling book, Poverty, By America, and take a hard look at poverty in one of the richest countries in the world, while reimagining how we perceive poverty.Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon

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53:13

Modern Democracy with Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky

The Preamble ·

2025/06/30

American democracy is going through a rough patch, and the Constitution, for all its brilliance, has some flaws that limit the power of majorities. So why haven’t we made any real reforms in over 50 years? And what are other democracies doing to fight authoritarianism? Sharon sits down with Harvard government professors, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, to discuss their book, Tyranny of the Minority. They explore how past democracies have failed, and find the striking pattern that political

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