Executive Dysfunction

Amanda Nelson

What if the biggest stories in American history weren't ancient history at all?

Hosted by creator and political storyteller Amanda Nelson (Amanda's Mild Takes), Executive Dysfunction is a narrative podcast exploring the most fascinating chapters of American political history and why they still matter today.

From disputed elections and political corruption to constitutional crises, government overreach, and unexpected heroes, each 30-minute episode blends investigative journalism, archival research, and cinematic storytelling to reveal how yesterday's dysfunction continues to shape today's headlines.

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4 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes4

Newest first

Woodrow Wilson's (literal) War on Free Speech
Who was America's most anti-First Amendment president? It wasn't Richard Nixon. It wasn't Donald Trump. It was Woodrow Wilson. In this episode of Executive Dysfunction, Amanda Nelson traces how the Espionage Act, government propaganda, postal censorship, and political prosecutions turned criticism of the government into a crime and why the legal framework Wilson built still echoes in America today. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
Thursday · 33 min
ABSCAM
What if the FBI invented a fake billionaire just to see which politicians would sell their office? In this episode of Executive Dysfunction, Amanda Nelson tells the unbelievable true story of ABSCAM, the undercover operation that caught members of Congress accepting bags of cash on hidden camera. It's a story about corruption, accountability, and the uncomfortable question that still haunts American politics: Is the problem bad actors, or a system that lets them believe they'll never get caught? We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
July 16 · 29 min
Bush v. Gore
Welcome to Season 1, Episode 1 of Executive Dysfunction: a deep dive into the presidential election of 2000, in which a butterfly ballot, a discriminatory voter purge, a staged riot by dorks in khaki, and a Supreme Court ruling that its own authors said should never be used as precedent combined to hand the presidency to George W. Bush...by 537 votes in Florida. Oh, and did we mention his brother was Governor?
July 2 · 29 min
Executive Dysfunction - Trailer
History doesn't stay in the past—it keeps shaping the present. Hosted by creator and political storyteller Amanda Nelson (Amanda's Mild Takes), Executive Dysfunction is a weekly narrative podcast exploring the most fascinating chapters of American political history and why they still matter today. From disputed elections and political corruption to constitutional crises, government overreach, and unexpected heroes, each 30-minute episode blends investigative journalism, archival research, and cinematic storytelling to reveal how yesterday's dysfunction continues to shape today's headlines. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
June 30 · 1 min

Executive Dysfunction

Woodrow Wilson's (literal) War on Free Speech

ABSCAM

Bush v. Gore

Executive Dysfunction - Trailer