The Lever & David Sirota

Master Plan

History EN ↓ 31 episodes

SEASON TWO: THE KINGMAKERS IS HERE For early access to future episodes and exclusive bonus content, ⁠ click here to upgrade to a paid subscription ⁠ to The Lever . Master Plan , the award-winning investigative podcast series from The Lever , reveals the hidden forces behind today’s biggest problems — and how small groups of powerful people engineered those problems to serve their own interests. We are exposing their schemes. Narrated by David Sirota, an award-winning investigative journalist and Oscar nominee for his work on the film Don’t Look Up . Master Plan has received the 2025 National P...

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Author

The Lever & David Sirota

Episodes

S1 E5: Corporations Are People | Legalizing Corruption 17.09.2024 53:16

You might remember Mitt Romney’s infamous line: “Corporations are people, my friend.” But where did this idea come from? In this episode: how the Ford Administration and the Powell Memo movement turned to the Supreme Court to establish the precedent that legalized corruption: money is speech, and corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a p...

S1 E4: The Secret Task Force | Legalizing Corruption 10.09.2024 51:15

How did corporate executives and politicians turn Lewis Powell’s memo from a blueprint into a master plan — and begin executing it? In this episode, we uncover proof of a secret “Powell Memo Task Force,” as well as clandestine meetings involving America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant. The results would change history. Get ad-free Master Pla...

S1 E3: The Powell Memo | Legalizing Corruption 03.09.2024 56:19

A seemingly moderate corporate lawyer grows alarmed by anti-corruption reformers’ policy wins and writes a manifesto detailing how corporations and oligarchs can dominate American politics. Months later, he’s confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by senators unaware that his manifesto is going viral among the business elite. View related materials here. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becomin...

S1 E2: The Other Watergate | Legalizing Corruption 27.08.2024 47:16

There’s a lost tale behind Watergate: corporate bagmen, suitcases of illegal cash, and Nixon circumventing the very campaign finance rules he’d just signed into law. Amid the blowback, Nixon leaves a ticking time bomb in the heart of Washington. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.co...

S1 E1: Milk Money | Legalizing Corruption 27.08.2024 36:58

Ever wonder how America became so corrupt? It didn’t have to be this way. Our series begins in 1971, a time when hot pants were hot, bell bottoms were swinging, and campaign cash flowed like… milk. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

S1 Trailer | Legalizing Corruption 05.08.2024 5:27

A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth. The first season of Master Plan, a new podcast from The Lever is avalable now wherever you get your podcasts. Listen early and ad-free at masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices