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PODCAST

Politics with Paul

Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

government politics

All Episodes

00:56:57

How Representative is Our Government—And How Should...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/04/07

What makes a government representative of the people - and is that what we see in America?Everybody wants a government that not only works for them but also reflects its constituents. There is also a lot of agreement that government falls short of doing so. Yet how people envision that representativeness isn't always the same, and there are a lot of obstacles that hinder government's ability to be representative. Today's episode explores this concept of representation in government. How often

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00:45:33

What Political Civility Really is and Combatting...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/03/31

Do we know what civility in conversation actually looks like?Healthy and grounded discussion is in short supply, especially in politics. Political discussions are often filled with toxic rhetoric and behavior, leading to many instances of verbal and physical violence. But while we know what toxicity looks like, there are some misunderstandings and mistaken beliefs about what civility looks like. So how do we become more civil? Today's guest, Dr. Michael Lee, dives into this question and more.

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00:41:42

What Do Democrats and Republicans Agree On? More Than...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/03/24

Republicans and Democrats just can't get along…or can they? Almost all the talk about interparty relations is about how much they bicker, fight, and attack each other. And it's true, there is a lot that divides us. However, there is a surprising amount that both parties actually agree on - they just don't realize it. But it's easy to say that we actually have a lot of common ground - how about some examples? Today's episode will show you why we focus so much on differences between the parties, why

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01:01:02

Blame, "Both Sides-ing," and Whataboutism: When Are...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/03/17

In political discussions, blame often gets thrown around. People get accused of "both sides-ing" an issue when they don't take a strong stance. Or accusations of wrongdoing are responded to with, "Yeah, but what about you?!" The vast majority of disputes in politics involve at least one of these rhetorical devices.Oftentimes, these tactics are destructive and unhelpful, making discourse worse. But are there times where blaming, accusing someone of "both sides-ing," or whataboutism are justified

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01:00:43

A Project to Revolutionize Holding Government...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/03/10

Government often feels unaccountable and non-transparent - but it doesn't have to be that way.Imagine an app and platform that not only significantly cuts down on the difficulty and time-consumption of researching bills and how legislators vote on them. It also allows you, the voter, to tell legislators in real-time how you want them to vote, and therefore makes them more accountable to the people. Sound too good to be true? Well, that's what the Digital Democracy Project does, helmed by today's

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00:55:48

It's Election Polling Season - Here's What You Should...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/03/03

It's an election year - and that means a lot of fodder about election polls and the "horse race" aspect of polls. It's easy to get caught up in who is "winning" a race, but a lot of the discussion about polls is immersed in misunderstandings about how it works, vested interests in what polls get promoted, and surface-level analysis of public opinion. For as much as people obsess over polls, many of them also love to trash polls as unreliable and even deceptive.Today's episode of Politics in Paul

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00:51:47

Why Our Ideas for Fixing Politics Aren’t as Easy and...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/02/24

We often think we or like-minded people have all the answers for how to fix politics. Yet we think the solutions are far easier, more obvious, and more foolproof than they actually are. It's a trap that any of us (some people more than others) can fall into. You should be skeptical if someone says, "It's simple, we need to do X."Still, we should encourage people to share their ideas for democracy. We just need to get people to think more critically about their ideas and others they agree with

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01:00:08

How to Mobilize and Motivate Supporters for Your...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/02/17

Perhaps the most important component to any campaign is mobilizing and motivating supporters and like-minded people to support your cause. Yet just because you have broad agreement doesn't mean it's simple and easy to galvanize these voters. You need to find out who these people are, craft the right message, the resources to reach them, and the right amount of nudging to come out to vote, among other things. What are the best ways to do that? Today's Politics with Paul guest, Bert Ralston, joined

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00:52:16

Is Potentialism the Key to American Civic Renewal? w/...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/02/10

Our civic culture is in precarious state, and toxicity and hyperpolarization threaten to make it even more unhealthy. It's now more critical than ever to renew our commitment to our civic ideals and to each other as Americans. But that's considerably easier said than done. How do we do that? Today's guest, Daniel Yudkin, joins the podcast to showcase what may be the key to revitalizing our civic culture and getting back to more healthy engagement with our political system. As head of the Beacon

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01:03:42

How Do We Improve Youth Voter Turnout? w/ Stephanie...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/02/03

While voter turnout overall is notoriously low in most American elections, youth voter turnout especially lags noticeably behind older voters, even when there is an uptick in participation. Sometimes, that has led to criticisms of youth citizens as "lazy," "uninformed," "unengaged," or "selfish." But is it really that simple? And do we have to just accept low voter turnout as an unchangeable fact?In today's episode of the Politics with Paul Podcast, election reformer and seasoned political

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01:11:10

How to Encourage and Incentivize People to Depolarize...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/01/27

In the discussions about how to depolarize American politics, one critical element often gets lost: How do we convince people that they need to depolarize and to become part of the political bridge-building movement? The need for these things may seem self-evident to those of us working to depolarize the nation, but we have to truly WANT to come together. And that requires not only showing polarized people why they should depolarize but also some self-awareness from bridge-builders in their

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01:05:28

Can This App Revolutionize Civic Engagement? w/...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/01/20

Civic engagement is a difficult endeavor that takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Yet an app called Sway seeks to make it much more accessible, giving any voting group the power to organize and engage constituents on a wide variety of elections and political issues. Could Sway change the game for citizen outreach?One of Sway's co-founders, Claire Shoreall, joined the Politics with Paul Podcast this episode to discuss the ambitious goals for the app. Listen in as Claire discusses the current

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01:03:14

The Problem of Uncontested Elections…and What You Can...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/01/13

Uncontested elections - races that only have one candidate - are a considerable problem in American politics. These elections aren't just uncompetitive; there's no competition at all. The choice has already been made before voting. Despite the threats uncontested elections pose to democracy and civic health, however, this issue doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should.But the first step to solving a problem is knowing it exists. Today's episode of Politics with Paul showcases how often we

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01:14:04

Most Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings about...

Politics with Paul ·

2026/01/06

Elections are complicated and difficult, which makes for plenty of mistakes made on the campaign trail from newbies and veterans alike. But it's not just the actual campaigns where mistakes and misunderstandings happen - it occurs with how elections are analyzed and covered, too. Campaigners, candidates, pollsters, media, academics, and citizens all have different perspectives and interests, leading to shortcomings and exacerbating the missteps about campaigning.In today's episode, Alex Patton

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00:47:14

Are Campaigns About Mobilization or Persuasion? Why...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/12/30

One of the most fundamental questions a political campaign must ask themselves is this: How much are you trying to persuade voters and how much are you trying to mobilize them? Some voters are never going to vote for your side, some voters are always going to vote for your side, some are up for grabs, and some are rarely (or never) going to participate at all. Knowing who is who, and how to appeal to them, is one of the keys to winning elections.There is no clear checklist that tells you how much

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00:56:41

How Federal and State Laws and Legislation are...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/12/23

Have you ever wondered how to make sense of the text of legislation and laws but you didn't know where to begin, or you felt the task too intimidating or daunting? Then this episode is for you! It's a crash course to introduce you to how legislation is interpreted at the federal and state levels so that is more accessible and understandable.Understanding how laws are interpreted is incredibly important for civic knowledge and the ability of citizens to hold government and political commentators

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01:13:36

"Voter Dollars": the Solution to Our Campaign Finance...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/12/16

Could a plan called "Voter Dollars" be the key to solving the issues with campaign finance laws in American politics? The exorbitant levels of spending in political campaigns have dismayed Americans across parties and ideologies, contributing to the disenchantment many voters (and would-be voters) feel about politics.Despite concern about politicians being bought by special interests, campaign finance reform has been particularly difficult to implement in America. However, today's guest, Dan

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00:56:33

How to Promote Pluralism in American Politics w/ Liz...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/12/09

Pluralism is a core part of American politics--or at least, it's supposed to be. Our civic life is meant to be a blend of varied backgrounds and viewpoints coming together to improve our political system. Yet far too often, we are siloed into echo chambers and see divisiveness and polarization reign in our discourse.So how do we get back to upholding pluralism in America? That's what Liz Vogel, co-executive director of New Pluralists, discusses on today's episode, including what pluralism looks

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01:05:12

What is Democracy—And How is it Working in America? |...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/12/02

Democracy in America is fragile, yet a lot of the rhetoric surrounding it is fraught with biases and appeals that are about winning elections and political battles rather than truly preserving democracy. There are also a lot of misunderstandings and debate about what democracy is and should be.To truly uphold and preserve democracy in this country, we must truly understand what it means and the challenges that face it. Today's episode of Politics with Paul explores what the core of American

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01:23:26

Does the Supreme Court Need to Rein in Presidential...

Politics with Paul ·

2025/11/25

The power of the US presidency has expanded considerably over 235 years. But has it gone too far and broken our system of separation of powers? If so, how do we (and especially the US Supreme Court) rein it back in? Retired attorney Peter Cohen looks at these questions in his new book, "In the Supreme Court's Own Words: First Principles for Checking Presidential Power and Preserving the Republic." Our conversation includes discussion about how to make legal rulings more understandable,

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