The Legislative Branch — made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate — is the part of government that writes the laws shaping our daily lives. It represents the voice of the people and the states, debating everything from taxes to healthcare, war to civil rights. Congress also plays a vital role in checking presidential power and ensuring accountability within our democracy. When it functions well, it embodies the spirit of collective decision-making that defines representative government.
In these podcasts, lawmakers, reformers, and policy experts take you behind the scenes of America’s most debated institution.You’ll explore the struggle to restore bipartisanship and trust, the mechanics of congressional oversight, and the ways citizen-led reforms — from redistricting to ranked choice voting — are reshaping how democracy works. Episodes also highlight the importance of protecting whistleblowers, tackling corruption, and ensuring fair representation for all Americans.
From dysfunction and division to cooperation and innovation, these conversations illuminate both the challenges and the possibilities of Congress — and why this branch remains essential to the balance of American power.
In this week’s episode, Julia, Lee, and James tackle the separation of powers. They consider why it exists and explore its consequences for our politics.
Listen to the full episode on Politics in Question: What's the deal with the separation of powers?
In Part 2 of this crossover episode between The Politics Guys and Beyond Politics, Mike and Beyond Politics host Matt Robison consider potential solutions to the problems plaguing Congress. They cover a lot of ground, including the influence of money in politics, the impact of media on political discourse, and the intricacies of the voting system. Specific reforms they discuss include a voucher system for campaign finance, the restoration of the talking filibuster in the Senate, approval voting, and rank choice voting.
Be sure to listen to Part 1 of the conversation on the Beyond Politics podcast.
Listen to the full episode on The Politics Guys: What’s Wrong with Congress and How Can We Fix It?
We tend to think about congressional oversight in very academic terms — checks and balances, the Framers, etc. But what does it actually look like on the ground in Congress? To find out, we’re talking this week with Charlie Dent, who served Congress for more than a decade until his retirement in 2018. He argues that amid all the talk about subpoenas, impeachment, and what Congress is not able to do, we’re losing sight of the things they can do to hold the executive branch accountable.
Dent is a lifelong Republican, but one that does not fit in with the direction the party’s taken under Donald Trump. We talk with him about why so few Republicans are willing to speak out against the Preisdent, and what the party’s post-Trump future might look like. He also talks about the difference between separation of parties and separation of powers — and where he thinks we are right now.
Dent was the chair of the House Ethics Committee and a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations committees. These days, he is a CNN political analyst and senior policy adviser at DLA Piper. He was a recipient of the 2019 Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award, which is the university’s highest honor presented to alumni.
Listen to the full episode on Democracy Works: Congressional oversight and making America pragmatic again
This episode makes a powerful case for compromise and pragmatism as crucial ingredients in passing laws and getting things done.
Our guests are Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, who are both members of the Problem Solvers Caucus: 62 Members of Congress, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
Although you wouldn’t know it from national media coverage, The Problem Solvers meet frequently when Congress is in session to discuss bipartisan legislation. They’re often successful in moving bills forward. We hear a substantive, compelling, personal conversation with two lawmakers who work together and put country before party.
We first recorded our conversation nearly four years ago. Despite their party labels they agree with each other much more than you might think.
Listen to the full episode on Let's Find Common Ground: Finding Common Ground in a Divided Congress: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) and Abigail Spanberger (D)
Joe Spielberger is the policy counsel for the Effective and Accountable Government team at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), where he advocates in Congress and the executive branch to strengthen whistleblower rights, protect a merit based civil service, and promote government ethics and transparency. We discuss how government can be transparent and accountable to us, the People.
All Americans need to be confident that federal employees are hired based on their qualifications and not because of their partisan political ideology. In retaliation to the whistleblower on Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky, Trump signed Schedule F, an executive order that could have allowed a complete purge of the civil service of nonpartisan career civil servants. Because whistleblower retaliation is rampant, protecting whistleblowers and civil servants is one of the best ways to protect the public from harm. The Supreme Court does not have a binding code of ethics because the Supreme Court refuses to adopt one. However, Congress has clear and direct mechanisms to hold the Supreme Court accountable and can pass legislation that would implement a binding code of ethics.
Listen to the full episode on Future Hindsight: Protect Whistleblowers: Joe Spielberger
A campaign in Michigan to end partisan gerrymandering in 2018 is part of a legacy of ballot initiatives dating back to the 1800s. After becoming disillusioned with the results of the 2016 election, Katie Fahey took to Facebook to gauge the interest of grassroots mobilization amongst her colleagues, friends and family.
Now the executive director of a nonpartisan voter reform organization, Fahey shares how the ballot initiative excited everyday people about becoming active in politics, including its 10,000 volunteers, and how they were inspired to make political changes in their communities.
In this episode, host Jenna Spinelle explores the basics of the ballot initiative, the history of how it caught on in the United States, and the pros and cons that she will explore throughout the series.
Listen to the full episode on When the People Decide: What Happens When the People Decide?
Partisan — where one party gains an unfair advantage by redrawing political maps to favor its candidates— is , but widespread in many states. We examine why this process devalues democracy, and how data science is being used across the country to expose many of the most egregious examples, and help voters advocate for fair and transparent redistricting.
Every decade, legislators across the country come up with maps for state and congressional districts. The latest round of changes, due to be finished well before primaries are held before the 2022 midterm elections in November, is facing . also see strong ties between partisan and racial bias.
Our guest in this episode shows citizens how they can fight back against local examples of gerrymandering by both Democrats and Republicans. oversees the , which runs an informative website that helps voters in every state decide if they live in an unfairly drawn legislative or Congressional District.
"A sense of fairness is a fundamental principle of our democracy," Professor Wang tells us. But "these fundamental principles are hard to keep sight of when a lot of the ways we talk about democracy have started to break down a bit."
Listen to the full episode on How Do We Fix It?: Gerrymandering: Why It's So Bad For Democracy. Sam Wang
As legislative sessions start up across the country, we're reposting our January 2019 episode all about drafting RCV legislation. Listen in for pointers on how to write clear and concise RCV bills!
Listen to the full episode on RCV Clips: Drafting Effective Ranked Choice Voting Legislation
In this conversation, Massachusetts State Representative Michelle Ciccolo discusses what Massachusetts, a Blue state, is doing to protect its residents, the catastrophic effect of the regime's attack on higher education, and the myriad ways tariffs impact small businesses, like plumbers.
We discuss her experiences in the legislature, focusing on community engagement, environmental issues, and the impact of federal policies on state initiatives. She highlights the challenges posed by recent federal actions, particularly regarding immigration and public health, and emphasizes the importance of grassroots activism and collaboration between state and federal representatives to address these issues effectively. We discuss the importance of historical context in shaping American identity, the need for local engagement in governance, the complexities of immigration policy, the intersection of food systems and public health, and the resilience of society in the face of rapid change. They emphasize the significance of collective decision-making, the challenges posed by misinformation, and the necessity of fostering community connections to address pressing issues.
Listen to the full episode on Freedom Over Fascism: MA State Rep Michelle Ciccolo
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