No matter how you’re planning to vote this election season, you probably want to be as educated as possible before hitting the polls — or mailing in your ballot. One of the easiest ways to stay up to date on candidate platforms, current events, and details of how it all works: podcasts. Whether you find yourself on a nature walk or the treadmill, these seven non-partisan or bi-partisan podcasts are sure to get you more prepared for November 3.
By Brandon Miller
Civics 101 (New Hampshire Public Radio)
Hosted by Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy, authors of A User’s Guide to Democracy: How America Works, Civics 101 is the perfect podcast to teach you all about American democracy — including those things you probably learned in school but no longer remember.
The Argument (The New York Times)
From The New York Times, The Argument podcast “tells you what’s going on, but not what to make of it”. In other words, it is a non-partisan podcast where the hosts present the news from each end of the political spectrum. For a well-rounded view of all sides, this podcast is a must.
After the Fact (PEW)
The Pew Charitable Trusts is all about non-partisan, data-driven insights. And so, it should be no surprise that their political podcast, After the Fact, adopts their trademark straightforward, evidence-based approach to discussing issues affecting today’s society. Though not strictly political, this podcast is essential for staying up-to-date with current news in health, technology, and other vital arenas.
Left, Right & Center (KCRW)
This podcast does exactly what it sounds like — it presents the listener with three positions on a topic: one from the left, one from the right, and one from the center. This is a must-listen for anyone looking for a bi-partisan take on politics and policy.
FiveThirtyEight’s Politics Podcast (ABC News)
The man behind FiveThirtyEight (the website and its associated podcasts) is Nate Silver, a world-renowned statistician and award-winning political analyst. That alone makes the site’s politics podcast a necessity for anyone looking to get educated on the electoral map and the state of the race.
Take two pollsters — one Democrat and one Republican — and give them a podcast. That’s the simple recipe used by The Pollsters, where hosts Margie Omero and Kristen Soltis Anderson focus on politics, entertainment, tech, and a host of other issues from a numerically-driven standpoint.
National Public Radio (NPR) podcast are known for being high quality, engaging, and straightforward, and all of these words describe the non-profit’s politics podcast, which is published daily. You won’t just get the boots-on-the-ground news straight out of Washington, you will also be left with an understanding of why it matters and what it all means.
