GovernmentEducationSociety & Culture

Politics in Question

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.

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20 episodes
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English

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#172
August 26 · 1 hr
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 U
#171
August 26 · 56 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 mino
#170
July 7 · 40 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 Par
#169
June 15 · 39 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 que
#168
May 27 · 49 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 an
#167
May 27 · 46 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 no
#166
April 20 · 30 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.
#165
April 6 · 50 min
Why Are Factions Valuable?
In this week's episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James chat with Soren Dayton about the importance of factions within Congress. Dayton is Director of American Governance Policy at the Foundation for American Innovation (FAI) and co-author of a new paper alongside James, Rebuilding Congress from Within: How Factions Facilitate Deliberation and Lawmaking (FAI, 2026). How can factions help decentralize Congress's decision-making process? Where do factions come from? How do factions operate
#10
March 5 · 39 min
Why Does Money Matter?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Danielle Thomsen about the role of money in politics. Thomsen is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine and author of The Money Signal: How Fundraising Matters in American Politics (The University of Chicago Press, 2025). How does our current fundraising landscape reinforce inequality in politics? Who typically donates to political campaigns? How has the role of money in politics evolved over the la
#9
March 5 · 39 min
Is the American Dream Dead?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Liz Suhay about the death and myth of the American Dream. Suhay is a professor of government in the School of Public Affairs at American University and the author of Debating the American Dream: How Explanations for Inequality Polarize Politics (Russell Sage Foundation, 2025). Is the lack of the American Dream the fault of the individual or of systemic factors? What role does partisanship play in individuals’ beliefs about meritocra
#164
January 28 · 54 min
How Does Transformation Lead to Regression?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James talk with their former co-host Julia Azari about the role of presidents in shaping of racial norms. Azari is a Professor of Political Science at Marquette University and author of Backlash Presidents (Princeton University Press, 2025). How have presidents shaped racial norms? Why was President Andrew Johnson a “backlash president”? What role does Congress play in coalition-building and norm shaping? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore in this week’s episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#163
Dec 19, 2025 · 38 min
Does Moderation Matter?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James dive into the “moderate debate.” They discuss Lee’s recent Substack essay, The Moderation Debate Fiddles with 2% While Democracy’s Dimensionality Collapses. Should parties move to the center? How do we define “moderate”? And what would it take to reinvigorate dimensionality in party politics? These are some of the questions Lee and James ask in this week’s episode. Links to the previous episodes referenced: Why do Americans use primary elections to select candidates for office? (featuring Robert Boatright) How did the Great Migration help shape today's politics? (featuring Keneshia Grant) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#162
Nov 6, 2025 · 29 min
How Do We Stop the Rise of Autocracy? Feat. Stacey Abrams
In this week's episode of Politics in Question, host Lee Drutman talks with Leader Stacey Abrams about the current state of democracy. Leader Abrams is a strategist, novelist, and host of the podcast Assembly Required. How do we create a sustainable democracy? What’s the difference between autocracy and authoritarianism? What role does civil resistance play in sustaining democracy? These are some of the questions Lee asks in this week's episode of Politics in Question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#161
Oct 30, 2025 · 38 min
Why Are We in a Shutdown?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James talk with Matt Glassman about the state and stakes of the government shutdown. Glassman is a Senior Fellow at The Government Affairs Institute and the author of the Substack Matt’s Five Points. What's the underlying cause of this shutdown? How do you "win" a shutdown? What will be the future political costs for the Democratic Party in trying to make a healthcare policy deal? These are the questions that James and Lee explore in this week’s episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#160
Oct 22, 2025 · 43 min
What Can the Data Tell Us?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee talks with G. Elliot Morris about all things polling. Morris is a data-driven journalist and author of Strength in Numbers: How Polls Work and Why We Need Them (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022). How should we evaluate the quality of polling data? What can polling data actually tell us about a candidate’s performance in an election? What factors cannot be measured through polling? These are the questions that Lee explores in this week’s episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#159
Oct 16, 2025 · 47 min
How Are Social Movements Built?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee and Julia talk with Hahrie Han, a recent MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, about the intricacies of local-level political organizing. Han is a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, the Inaugural Director of the SNF Agora Institute, Faculty Director of the P3 Research Lab, and author of Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church (Knopf, 2024). What are the mechanics of creating collective action? How is power negotiated and built within social movements? And what role do researchers play in shaping our understanding of political systems and power? These are the questions Lee and Julia explore in this week’s episode. Note: This episode is a rebroadcast, originally recorded in October 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#158
Sep 11, 2025 · 41 min
What is a Pocket Rescission?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James discuss the context behind the looming government shutdown. They walk through the history of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and examine whether Congress can still play its constitutional role in checking the executive. What exactly is a rescission, and how does it work? How does a “pocket rescission” differ from the normal process? Should lawmakers amend the Budget Act? These are some of the questions Lee and James explore in th
#157
Aug 28, 2025 · 33 min
Is American Politics Stuck in a Gerontocracy?
In this week’s episode of Politics in Question, Lee sits down with Oscar Pocasangre and Dustin Wahl to discuss the representation of young people in politics. Pocasangre is a Senior Data Analyst at New America, and Wahl is the Executive Director of Fix Our House. Together, they co-authored a new report, The Age Divide, published by Protect Democracy (2025).
#156
Aug 6, 2025 · 33 min
Who Really Controls the Map?
In this week's episode of Politics in Question, Lee and James catch up on the state of redistricting in the U.S. They discuss Lee’s latest Substack piece, “Democracy in Pieces: Did the Texas Gerrymander Just Break the Districting Game ?”
#155
Jul 23, 2025 · 47 min
What's the Future of Casework?
In this week's episode of Politics in Question, Lee discusses with Anne Meeker how case work and constituent services would work under proportional representation.

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