Shows / Political Theater
Political Theater
Have you ever asked, “WTF?,” about politics? Or, “who are these people making decisions about my life?” Political Theater pulls back the curtain on the stunts, antics and motivations that drive Washington. Host Jason Dick and the Roll Call team spotlight the spectacle, the players and what’s going on behind the curtain in Washington’s long-running drama: Congress.
Episodes
- Political Theater
Between the Lines: A Redistricting Roundup Report Card
When it comes to really geeking out about politics and campaigns, nothing beats redistricting. Jason Dick and Michael Macagnone break down how the…
- Political Theater
Training the next generation of campaign reporters — in the field
Christina Bellantoni, a former Roll Call editor who is now professor of professional practice at the University of Southern California, is training the next…
- Political Theater
Supreme Court confirmations keep us guessing
The stakes for Supreme Court nominations have always been high. But starting in 2016, when Senate Republicans refused to consider the nomination of Merrick B…
- Political Theater
‘Time becomes elastic’: the long legacy of Guantanamo Bay
For the remaining prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention facility, “time becomes elastic,” in the words of filmmaker Alex Gibney. One long-time…
- Political Theater
Unified control, the political unicorn that never lasts
In the last 50 years, only six first-term presidents have been graced with their party in the majority in the House and Senate, and those majorities come under…
- Political Theater
‘I just knew I had to be there’ — Jamie Raskin and the convergence of grief and politics
Rep. Jamie Raskin was already embroiled in a political struggle of titanic proportions when tragedy struck in late 2020: the death of his son, Tommy. Madeleine…
- Political Theater
The NFL’s missteps get amplified on its big stage
This Super Bowl Sunday marks the conclusion of the one of the NFL’s mosts successful and entertaining seasons — and also one where its questionable business…
- Political Theater
The color of money, 2022 midterms edition
Voting rights is about as hot a topic as it gets in politics right now, with the debate centered around whether voting laws pushed by Republicans amount to…
- Political Theater
‘I’m not going to be bullied out of here’ — members of Congress react to death threats
There has always been a risk to being a public figure, particularly a member of Congress. Beyond the violence of events like the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the…
- Political Theater
Reshaping society, the Supreme Court way
The White House and Congress get a lot of attention for their proposals to change public law, but the Supreme Court is having an outsize effect on society with…
- Political Theater
Timothy Snyder: Voting rights an 'existential question' facing America
The current fight over voting rights will help determine how long the United States endures as a republic, says Timothy Snyder, a historian and author of “On…
- Political Theater
January 6, 2021: In their own words
For people just trying to do their jobs on Jan. 6, 2021, there wasn’t a lot of time to think. But bearing witness then and reflecting on it now are as…
- Political Theater
The 2021 Political Theater year in review
It’s that time of the year, when podcasts like Political Theater do their years in review. It’s a helpful frame. But 2021 in retrospect looks a lot like 2020…
- Political Theater
CQ Roll Call's photographers on the year that was
It has been, to put it mildly, a momentous year. It started off the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and has been defined by the continuing pandemic. But it's also…
- Political Theater
From COVID's first wave to now, what we learned
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives for years now and killed millions. What are the biggest changes it has caused? And could we have done things…
- Political Theater
Coal in your legislative stockings
The weather outside might not be so frightful, but Congress’ inability to do anything on time sure does suck. Here we are in December, and, as usual, there is…
- Political Theater
Ruben Gallego's warts and all account of life and death
Congressman Ruben Gallego’s new book, 'They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit,' isn’t your typical political memoir…
- Political Theater
What we're watching one year out from 2022 midterms
The 2022 midterm elections are less than a year away, and CQ Roll Call politics team has been keeping an eye on vulnerable members, races to watch, and other…
- Political Theater
Infrastructure Week: No longer a punchline
It's a good time to be Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. With President Biden about to sign an infrastructure bill into law, Buttigieg is one of its…
- Political Theater
The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately elections of 2021
Gubernatorial elections this week in Virginia and New Jersey showed a huge swing toward Republicans in two states previously thought of as solidly Democratic…
- Political Theater
Joe Manchin: Man of the moment
In an evenly divided Senate, every senator has the ability to be a kingmaker. But West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin has taken it to the next level. At a time…
- Political Theater
Just what is wrong with Congress?
The legislative branch consistently misses statutory deadlines, lurching from crisis to crisis, all while sniping at one another in a way that would get most…
- Political Theater
'Dopesick’ humanizes the overwhelming losses of the opioid epidemic
The team behind the Hulu mini-series “Dopesick,” discusses with Political Theater how they approached a story of monumental tragedy and loss, putting a human…
- Political Theater
The view from Howell: Michiganders weigh in on Biden agenda
President Joe Biden took his pitch for enhanced infrastructure and social safety net spending to Howell, Mich., this week. CQ Roll Call Senior Writer Paul…
- Political Theater
Supreme Court takes on big issues — and more scrutiny
The Supreme Court begins its new term on Oct. 4, and the stakes are sky high for the justices, who will hear cases that could usher in sweeping changes on…
- Political Theater
The Circus’ comes back to (this) town
The Circus is back in town. At least Showtime’s political documentary series "The Circus" is back, resuming its sixth season this past Sunday. And the show has…
- Political Theater
Can Congress stay bipartisan on Olympic oversight?
Congress is deeply split, but not when it comes to the Olympics. Former U.S. women's national gymnastics’ team doctor Larry Nassar’s serial sexual abuse of…
- Political Theater
'Detainee 001’ and the untold story of the American Taliban, John Walker Lindh
Filmmaker Greg Barker’s new documentary, “Detainee 001” comes at a turning point in U.S history and its timing could not be more ideal. The story of John…
- Political Theater
Was the sad, messy end in Afghanistan inevitable?
President Joe Biden this week declared that the longest war in U.S. history was over, and that after evacuating thousands of Americans and Afghan allies, there…
- Political Theater
The politics of public health
Health inequities between different racial and ethnic groups existed well before COVID-19, but the pandemic has revealed just how stark the disparities are…
- Political Theater
Everything you wanted to know about Title 42 but didn't know to ask
A little known public-health directive, Title 42, allows border agents to swiftly “expel” migrants who cross the border —without considering their asylum…
- Political Theater
What’s so special about special elections?
Special elections to the House this year have offered more evidence that local and state contests have been nationalized, even down to the intra-party primary…
- Political Theater
‘Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union’ explores path, legacy of 44th president
The HBO documentary series “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union,” arrives at a tumultuous time in American politics. It explores the formative years and…
- Political Theater
The ADA at 31: Still striving to remove barriers
This week, the White House celebrated the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, touted as a bipartisan success that has…
- Political Theater
How DACA went from temporary plan to forever battle
Initially conceived as a temporary solution for vulnerable immigrants, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has become an intractable political…
- Political Theater
Trump, voting access defining 2022 midterm election outlook
Midterm elections have patterns, but the political calculus we use sometimes needs a little adjusting. A delayed redistricting cycle, former President Donald…
- Political Theater
The Supreme Court: It’s all about the politics
Supreme Court justices like to portray themselves as legal actors, not political ones, but the high court has never been able to stay out of the public arena…
- Political Theater
Decluttering the Capitol of its white supremacists
Just before the Independence Day recess, the House is moving anew to remove statues of people in the Capitol who were part of the Confederacy or were otherwise…
- Political Theater
When 60+ votes isn’t enough in the Senate
Why does something that seems pretty common sense and has wide bipartisan support get stalled in the Senate? A case study is the current debate over how to…
- Political Theater
Late spring fever: Congress emerges from pandemic depths
This week, the House and Senate were both in session for the first time since before Memorial Day, and it feels like Spring Fever, with pandemic precautions…
- Political Theater
Why is West Virginia the center of the political universe?
For a small state, West Virginia has outsize political influence. The Mountain State's two senators, Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito…
- Political Theater
‘The Courier’: How friendship trumped Cold War politics
The United States and Russia have a tense political relationship, which will be on display later this month when President Joe Biden has called Russian leader…
- Political Theater
"I have to be an optimist"
This week marked the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, a year defined by a subsequent international reckoning…
- Political Theater
"There’s a number of people who still take it for granted"
Few political issues are as polarizing as abortion, and now abortion opponents are on the cusp of a potentially epic win after decades of incremental gains…
- Political Theater
When the theater of politics turned all politics into theater
When we started this podcast in January 2018, we were not thinking about whether it would make it to 200 episodes. Then again, we didn’t think we get…
- Political Theater
History and drama: Republicans’ 2022 balancing act
Heading into the 2022 midterm elections, history and redistricting favor House Republicans. But even with built-in advantages, there are some wild cards to…
- Political Theater
He's not gonna wait
Mark McKinnon, long-time political adviser and current co-host of the Showtime political documentary series The Circus joins Political Theater to discuss…
- Political Theater
Bonus episode: Equal Time with Mary C Curtis: DNC Chair Jaime Harrison
Jaime Harrison gained national attention last year when he broke fundraising records running against South Carolina incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham. While…
- Political Theater
The future of the Democratic Party
It's no secret that in the corridors of power there is a struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party. While Joe Biden won the presidency, there certainly…
- Political Theater
Joe Biden's bold moves on race relations
The United States is amid a period of self-reflection and contentious debate on race relations and President Joe Biden is leaning into it. Rashawn Ray, a…
- Political Theater
The future of the GOP
Rep. Mike Johnson is emblematic of the Republican Party of which he is now, in his third House term, and a leading member. He joined fellow Republicans in…
- Political Theater
Governing in a hurry: The fleeting nature of unified control
Unified control of the White House and Congress does not happen all that often. We are in one of those periods now, with President Joe Biden and his fellow…
- Political Theater
11 years later, the Affordable Care Act is still ‘a big f-ing deal’
This week marks the 11th anniversary of Barack Obama’s signing of the Affordable Care Act, something Joe Biden, then the vice president, now the president…
- Political Theater
What Deb Haaland at Interior means for Native Americans
Native Americans have long had a contentious relationship with the Interior Department. Now one of their own is at the helm of it, Deb Haaland, an enrolled…
- Political Theater
Making sense of Congress, one year into the pandemic
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Political Theater takes stock of the changes in Congress and how it operates, which of those will be lasting, which are…
- Political Theater
If you want partisanship, you’ve got it
Look no further than Congress to hear gripes about gridlock and the lack of bipartisanship. But based on whom the voters are sending to Washington, it’s not a…
- Political Theater
‘Mad’ about you: Madeleine Dean’s Philadelphia story
It’s been a busy few years for Rep. Madeleine Dean, the Pennsylvania Democrat elected to the House in 2018. The lawyer and professor was part of a historic…
- Political Theater
Maybe everyone just wants to move on
Despite the high drama and hard feelings associated with the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, it’s unclear it will have an effect on…
- Political Theater
Political Theater goes to 'The Circus'
Showtime’s political documentary series “The Circus” wants to capture, in the words of co-host John Heilemann, the “big, giant chaotic, nightmarish stew” of…
- Political Theater
Just how long will the U.S. Capitol look like a militarized zone?
Amid a pandemic, an impeachment trial, an economic crisis and the fallout over the Jan. 6 armed attack on the Capitol, Congress is trying to figure out how…