Inside Political Science

Has Donald Trump permanently changed American politics? On this episode, Kirby joins Todd as a guest alongside his son and co-author, Spencer Goidel, a Texas A&M doctoral graduate and assistant professor of political science at Auburn University, to discuss their book, “The Trump Realignment.” The conversation explores Trump’s effect on the party system, what political realignment means and w...

Why is gambling now a public concern? Join Kirby and Todd alongside special guests Matt Motta and Tim Callaghan, associate professors in the Department of Health Law, Policy and Management at Boston University, for a conversation about prediction markets, gambling, public health and democracy. From election forecasting to insider trading and gambling addiction, this episode explores one of the fas...

Is this the year Texas turns blue? How do certain concerns voters have affect favorability numbers on certain candidates? Join Kirby and special guest Brandon Rottinghaus, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston and leading expert in Texas politics, as they break down the context behind the Texas Pulse Poll data. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, v...

How has nuclear politics changed the game? What does it mean to use nuclear weapons defensively and offensively? Join Kirby as he digs deep to find the answers to these questions through the history of international nuclear weaponry with Texas A&M professor and expert Matt Furhmann. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.

What does it mean to be a legitimate institution? Are government institutions still representing citizens? In this episode, Kirby sits down with Soren Jordan, associate professor at The Bush School of Government & Public Service, to discuss how science guides political methodology. Soren emphasizes the importance of data interpretation and representation, noting that representation is essenti...

What is presidential greatness? Does it even exist? Kirby and Todd sit down with Texas A&M former student and co-director of the Presidential Greatness Project, Justin Vaughn, to explore patterns among highly rated presidents and the power of their terms. The hosts pose the question: what makes a president “great?” Vaughn shares his research, noting that the consensus is evolving. While a “gr...

Between the recent U.S. Senate primary elections and the developing conflict with Iran, tensions are rising in Washington, D.C. That begs the question: what power does President Trump hold, and does he have the support of the American people? Kirby and Todd agree that U.S. citizens do not seem to be backing the President’s choice to ignite war in the same way they have in the past. The two argue t...

Democracy is evidently changing, and so is the field of journalism. In this episode, Kirby and Todd are joined by Axios’ Senior Contributor and Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship Maragaret Talev to discuss how journalism and democracy go hand-in-hand. The former White House correspondent argues that now, more than ever, many politicians are bypa...

What’s the Federal Reserve, and how does it function? Join Kirby and Todd as they sit down with Texas A&M professor Bill Clark to learn about the significance of The Fed and how it affects our economy. Although the institution is said to operate independently from the government, Clark says the Federal Reserve is actually “partially independent,” with dependence on policymakers like Congress...

Kirby and Todd are back for another semester with new topics beyond the realm of politics! In this episode, they invite Keith Gaddie, author of Bragging Rites: College Football’s Titles, and an expert on the politics of football within the Southeastern Conference. With the implementation of NIL rights, the NCAA transfer portal and the post-season systems, are we past the point of no return? Althou...

Do Americans think the country is on the wrong track? Between the economy, healthcare, housing, and elections, affordability is a major concern for many Americans. Kirby and Todd discuss how the term has taken over political media. It’s a “new mantra,” they say, but who’s to blame for the lack of affordability many Americans say they’re facing? Later, they talk about the increase in housing prices...

In this episode, co-host Kirby Goidel is joined by pollster Clifford Young to dive into their new book, "Nativist Nation.” Todd inquires about the current state of the country and how nativism has affected the U.S. Is it a cultural or economic issue? Does nativism define American politics? Who belongs in America? Kirby claims that nativism has always been present in politics, but there’s a time wh...

It’s off-year election season, but how much significance do these elections have? With the New York City mayoral election in the national spotlight, Kirby and Todd touch on the effects of the election’s outcomes. To what extent does the mayor truly hold power? Although voter mobilization encourages people to get up and vote, it’s the persuasion that truly makes a difference. Later, they touch on t...

Have government shutdowns become a strategy for political parties? With the recent American government shutdown, Kirby and Todd say we’ve been here before, except they predict the impact might be greater. Both sides are decisive and don’t want to reach a compromise, but can either party make their case? The two discuss how the shutdown could impact the American people, and they hope that politicia...

With recent events in America, many people are questioning the American system. Kirby and Todd sit down with Texas A&M Visiting Professor Clifford Young to weigh in on the current state of the country and possible solutions to political challenges. The three discuss how, as satisfaction levels of democracy have decreased, so has political unification. Is the increase in political violence and...

The United States of America is entering a new political climate since President Trump took office nine months ago – what are the people saying? Is there a shift in the crime rate? Do people agree with the immigration policies being enforced? What is going on with the economy? With so much change, it can be hard to keep up. Kirby and Todd say President Trump seems to be realigning the political sy...

Texas Republicans and Democrats are at odds over redistricting – what does this mean for the future? There’s a lot going on in Texas and across the country. As President Trump embarks on his seventh month in office, Kirby and Todd say he embraces uncertainty, including asking Texas to find more Republican-leaning Congressional districts. Will the evasive strategies of the Texas Democratic Party st...

How are German politics different from American politics? And which country does it better? Todd presents a special student-focused episode from Passau, Germany, during a Bush School Study Abroad trip. Two Texas A&M students and two University of Passau students engage in a roundtable discussion about the future of politics in the United States and Germany. With election season wrapped up in...

What’s the role of a pollster? Is it about getting the numbers right? Or can they help us predict the future? Kirby invites Cliff Young from Ipsos to the show to discuss how pollsters measure and interpret public opinion. Cliff says pollsters serve as a bridge between those who govern and those who are governed. They try to understand what people are thinking and how that affects future political...

What issues matter to college students? Is there hope for a political common ground among the next generation? Three Texas A&M students join Kirby and Todd for a robust discussion of student perspectives. As young voters, they are discovering how to be a part of the political process. They bring up national issues like the economy, debt and free speech, but also local issues that directly aff...

Will the U.S. lose its world power? Are we on a path to a lower quality of life? In this episode, Kirby and Todd bring on Dr. Matt Motta to talk about the politicization of scientific research and how it affects our lives and power. As the federal government makes budget cuts, Dr. Motta wonders what will happen to important research. He argues that things like GPS, the internet and medicine are di...

Keeping people in jail can get expensive. But public safety is vital. So is letting people out on bail effective? Kirby and Todd bring two guests to the show to discuss bail reform in their new episode. First, Ken Good, a bail attorney and board member for the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, shares what he thinks good bail reform looks like. He encourages accountability and wants to give judges an...

If it feels hard to keep up with the whiplash of politics these last few weeks, you’re not alone! Kirby and Todd are back with a new episode about everything happening: from tariffs and the constant battle between free trade and fair trade; to Elon Musk proclaiming that “the entire destiny of humanity” rests on a Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Plus, is President Trump’s ‘third term’ discussion...

Our Constitution was built for presidents like Donald Trump. That’s the argument from Kirby and Todd in their latest episode. Kirby says the Constitution was set up for presidents to grab power and Congress to provide checks and balances - much like Trump is doing. But everyone knows the next mid-term election will change the balance again. Kirby and Todd discuss a variety of topics in this episod...

President Trump is doing what we expect leaders to do. Congress isn’t - and that’s a problem. Kirby and Todd are back to discuss the sledgehammer the president is taking to the government and the budget. They say so much is happening that no one really knows what’s happening! But what they do know is that our checks and balances system isn’t working. Trump is using his power as leaders should. Con...