FiveThirtyEight Politics
695 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 19.5K ratingsThe 538 team covers the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week.
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Episodes
Mueller's Letter To Barr
May 01, 2019 20:13 - 28 minutes - 13 MBSpecial Counsel Mueller wrote AG Barr a letter expressing concerns about how he'd characterized the report's findings to Congress. The podcast crew reacts.
Peto Buttichar 2020
April 29, 2019 22:22 - 48 minutes - 22.2 MBThe crew discusses the Democratic Party's reaction to Joe Biden entering the presidential race. They also ask why Sanders and Warren don't have more crossover support.
How Joe Biden Could Win
April 25, 2019 11:28 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBFormer Vice President Joe Biden announced his candidacy for president on Thursday. The crew discusses the reasons he could win the nomination or come up short.
We Have The Mueller Report. Now What?
April 22, 2019 21:46 - 50 minutes - 23.2 MBThe crew discusses how the various players are positioning themselves now that the Mueller report is public. Plus, the Democratic primary field expanded again.
Emergency Podcast: The Mueller Report
April 18, 2019 22:07 - 44 minutes - 20.6 MBThe podcast team reacts to the release of the redacted Mueller report.
The State Of The Democratic Primary
April 15, 2019 22:36 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBAs the first quarter of 2019 comes to a close, the crew gives an assessment of state of the 2020 Democratic primary.
How Good Are FiveThirtyEight Forecasts?
April 11, 2019 20:17 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBOur "Model Talk" series returns briefly to discuss the performance of FiveThirtyEight's forecast models over the past decade. We crunched the numbers and the results are in!
Do Democrats Want An Outsider In 2020?
April 08, 2019 22:16 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBThe crew debates the appeal of a political outsider for Democrats in 2020. They also look at the class divide among white voters how that affects their political behavior.
The Electoral College Episode
April 04, 2019 19:02 - 41 minutes - 19 MBJulia Azari and Seth Masket join the podcast to discuss the arguments for and against the Electoral College and how likely it is to actually change.
What Will Biden Do?
April 01, 2019 21:20 - 43 minutes - 20.2 MBJoe Biden has been accused of inappropriately touching a former legislator at a campaign event. Will that change his calculus about whether to get in the race?
Can Statistics Solve Gerrymandering?
March 28, 2019 20:38 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBMathematician Moon Duchin joins Nate Silver and Galen Druke to discuss a method for spotting partisan gerrymandering that the Supreme Court considered Tuesday.
Life After The Mueller Report
March 25, 2019 19:44 - 50 minutes - 23 MBThe crew reacts to the principal findings of the Mueller report, according to Attorney General Bill Barr.
Emergency Podcast: Mueller Has Filed His Report
March 22, 2019 23:36 - 12 minutes - 5.99 MBIn this emergency podcast, Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux joins Galen Druke to discuss what comes next now that Special Counsel Mueller has filed his report.
Live From NY: It's A 2020 Draft!
March 21, 2019 21:15 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBIn a live taping of the podcast, the crew competes in a draft of the 2020 primary candidates. They also play "Good Use of Polling or Bad Use of Polling?"
Ranking 2020 Rollouts
March 18, 2019 22:15 - 42 minutes - 19.7 MBThe crew takes stock of which candidates have done the best job introducing themselves in the early months of the primary.
The Moment Of Truth For Brexit
March 15, 2019 16:57 - 37 minutes - 17.4 MBDavid Runciman and Helen Thompson from the British "Talking Politics" podcast discuss the week in Brexit and what comes next.
How Beto O'Rourke Could Win
March 14, 2019 11:43 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBFormer El Paso congressman Beto O'Rourke is running for president. The crew discusses how he could win -- or lose -- the Democratic primary.
How Divided Are Democrats?
March 11, 2019 22:04 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MBThe podcast crew analyzes the divisions within the Democratic Party and makes sense of why potential 2020 candidates like Sherrod Brown decided not to run.
Iowa And New Hampshire Can Go To Hell
March 07, 2019 22:10 - 30 minutes - 14.2 MBIowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Why do those four states vote first and does the lineup make sense?
Should We Cancel The Electoral College?
March 04, 2019 23:24 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBThe podcast crew discusses the latest candidate announcements, whether party endorsements matter, and the merits of the Electoral College.
What We Learned From Cohen's Testimony
February 28, 2019 01:21 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBThe podcast team reacts to a day of testimony from President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Our Best (Or Worst) Show
February 25, 2019 23:10 - 45 minutes - 21 MBThe podcast crew discusses absentee ballot fraud in North Carolina and the threat of a primary challenge to Trump. They also play a round of "Guess What Americans Think."
All The President's Investigations
February 22, 2019 17:38 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBThe word is that Mueller will wrap up his investigation next week. Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux shares an overview of the legal troubles that will continue to follow the president.
How Bernie Sanders Could Win
February 19, 2019 22:25 - 47 minutes - 21.6 MBSen. Bernie Sanders is running for president. The team describes both his path to success and failure in the primary. They also follow up on Trump's emergency declaration.
National Emergency Podcast
February 14, 2019 23:09 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MBThe crew reacts to the news that President Trump plans to declare a national emergency at the southern border. Vox's Dara Lind also joins to discuss the border security deal.
How Amy Klobuchar Could Win
February 11, 2019 22:52 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBThe crew discusses the arguments for and against Sen. Amy Klobuchar winning the Democratic nomination. They also assess the politics of the Green New Deal.
The Mess In Virginia
February 07, 2019 20:10 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBDemocratic politics in Virginia are in upheaval. The team reacts to the scandals facing each of the top three Democrats in the state -- the governor, lt. governor and AG.
The Politics Of Taxing The Rich
February 04, 2019 22:57 - 36 minutes - 16.9 MBSome Democrats are floating new taxes on the super rich. The crew discusses the politics of those proposals. They also assess Cory Booker's path to the nomination.
The Perot Effect
February 02, 2019 14:26 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBWhat effect do third party candidates have in a two party system? This is an audio documentary about Ross Perot and the 1992 election that originally aired in October 2016.
Do Americans Want A Candidate Like Howard Schultz?
January 31, 2019 15:36 - 33 minutes - 15.6 MBIn light of Howard Schultz's possible presidential run as a "centrist independent," the crew discusses the appetite for such a candidate among Americans.
Shutdown Lessons (And 2020 Announcements)
January 28, 2019 23:18 - 52 minutes - 24.1 MBThe crew discusses the political repercussions of the government shutdown and considers two Democratic presidential contenders -- Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard.
What To Make Of Roger Stone's Indictment
January 25, 2019 18:22 - 14 minutes - 6.91 MBIn this installment of Mueller Talk, Amelia Thomson-Deveaux discusses the implications of longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone's indictment.
How Kamala Harris Could Win
January 22, 2019 22:19 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBThe crew analyzes what Harris's path to the nomination could look like. They also react to Mueller's statement on the Buzzfeed report and discuss the role of the young left.
Emergency Podcast: The Suborn Identity
January 18, 2019 19:08 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBIn this emergency installment, the crew reacts to a Buzzfeed News report that President Trump directed his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress.
How Kirsten Gillibrand Could Win
January 16, 2019 21:18 - 36 minutes - 17 MBNew York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is the latest in the Democratic field to make official moves toward running for president. The crew discusses her case for the nomination. Note: At 17:40, Nate Silver's audio may be a bit unclear. He says, "It's not that logical because, number one, a lot of Democrats are concerned about senators who allegedly grope people."
How Julian Castro Could Win
January 14, 2019 22:25 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MBThe crew discusses what Julian Castro's path to the Democratic nomination could look like. They also lay out a rubric for evaluating candidate strengths and talk shutdown.
Will Trump Face A Primary Challenge?
January 10, 2019 22:45 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBIs Trump in danger of a serious challenge for the Republican nomination in 2020? Perry Bacon Jr. and Julia Azari join the podcast to discuss.
How Elizabeth Warren Could Win
January 07, 2019 22:32 - 54 minutes - 25.2 MBThe crew discusses the paths to Elizabeth Warren winning -- and losing -- the 2020 Democratic nomination. They also look at the political repercussions of the shutdown.
The Gerrymandering Project: Arizona
December 31, 2018 13:59 - 38 minutesIn 2018, more states decided to put independent commissions in charge of redistricting. Arizona serves as an example of some of the challenges those commissions can face.
The Gerrymandering Project: Arizona
December 31, 2018 13:59 - 38 minutes - 17.7 MBIn 2018, more states decided to put independent commissions in charge of redistricting. Arizona serves as an example of some of the challenges those commissions can face.
Our 2018 Politics Awards
December 24, 2018 13:04 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBThe crew looks back on the year in politics and gives out made up awards. They also share resolutions for 2019.
Emergency Podcast: Mattis Is Out, Shutdown Is On (?)
December 21, 2018 19:07 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBIn an emergency episode of the podcast, the crew discusses Defense Secretary Jim Mattis's departure and the looming government shutdown.
Should Democrats Play Dirty?
December 17, 2018 21:49 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBDemocrats backed off a plan that would gerrymander New Jersey, while Republicans went ahead with a power grab in Wisconsin. The crew discusses why the parties play differently
The Brexit Episode
December 13, 2018 21:01 - 28 minutes - 13 MBTwo political science professors from the University of Cambridge join the podcast to explain what happened in Britain this week and what comes next.
Trump's Turbulent Week
December 10, 2018 21:45 - 42 minutes - 19.3 MBPresident Trump is continuing to face possible legal trouble over campaign finance violations, meanwhile the White House is in the middle of another staffing shakeup.
Something Is Fishy In North Carolina
December 03, 2018 22:22 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MBThe crew reflects on how politics have changed since President H. W. Bush's time in office. They also speak with Prof. Michael Bitzer about possible election fraud in NC-09.
Emergency Podcast: Cohen Is Cooperating With Mueller
November 29, 2018 20:53 - 21 minutes - 10 MBIn an emergency installment, the crew reacts to news that Michael Cohen pleaded guilty for lying to Congress about the details of a potential Trump project in Moscow.
This Is Mueller Talk!
November 29, 2018 13:45 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBAfter months of silence, the Mueller investigation is making news again. Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux joins the podcast to make sense of a big week of revelations.
Can A Democrat Win In Mississippi?
November 26, 2018 22:13 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBThe final Senate election of 2018 is scheduled for Tuesday in Mississippi. The crew discusses the fault lines at play of race, geography and class.
Will Pelosi Be Replaced?
November 19, 2018 22:03 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBThe Democrats have a majority in the House, now they need a Speaker. The crew discusses whether Nancy Pelosi will be re-elected and what the vote says about the party.