Podcast recommendations

from Paasha Mahdavi, assistant professor of political science

A Matter of Degrees

UCSB cosponsors this podcast about what drives climate change and how we can fix it. Hosts Leah Stokes and Katharine Wilkinson (and occasionally me, filling in as guest host) build the show around a series of narratives. Each episode tackles a different issue from the perspective of climate leaders and features guests like Vice President Kamala Harris or Department of Energy Director Shalanda Baker.

The Ezra Klein Show

My favorite current events podcast. It engages mostly with news topics in foreign and domestic affairs; like any news podcast, it covers a lot of ground — but it does so with remarkable depth and nuance for a twice-weekly show.

Plain English

For more of a deep dive on social issues, I turn to “Plain English” with Derek Thompson, a writer for The Atlantic and a regular contributor to NPR’s “Here and Now.” One of my favorite episodes explores why Americans stopped “hanging out” — drawing from pop culture and from social science theories like Robert Putnam’s classic essay on “Bowling Alone.”

Scope Conditions

If you really want to geek out on cutting-edge political science, this is the podcast for you. Hosted by professors Yang-Yang Zhou and Alan Jacobs, the show features guest scholars talking about their innovative empirical research in countries around the world. Topics range from how the U.N. keeps the peace in post-conflict settings to how dictators shuffle personnel to stay in power to the global spread of voter suppression.

SmartLess

On a lighter note, this is one of the podcasts I turn to when I want to take a mental break or when I have a long drive ahead of me. It’s hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, with weekly episodes interviewing celebrities and grilling them with hard-hitting questions like, “Are you a morning or a night shower person?” To be fair, they recently did a group interview with presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden, so perhaps they’re getting more serious now!