The Politics Lab

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and then look 50 years into the future and speculate on what the American democracy might look like at its 300th anniversary.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss the war in Iran, revisit the legacy of Brexit ten years later, and ask one very important question: What's more stupid—the reflecting pool conspiracy, an all you can eat Greenland shrimp strategy, or a cabinet obsessed with sauerkraut?

This week, Bill and Phil examine the proposed U.S.–Iran Memorandum of Understanding and explore what a UFC fight on the White House lawn might tell us about the changing norms of American democracy.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss the latest developments in the Iran war and the prospects for peace. They then explore whether Democrats have a viable path back to electoral success before closing with a look at Trump’s controversial new compensation fund and what it says about corruption and power in American politics.

This week, Bill and Phil dig into Trump’s king-like behavior and reflect on political violence in America.

This week, Bill and Phil take on Donald Trump’s escalating clash with the Pope—from social media provocations and questionable theology to a broader question about faith, power, and political messaging. They then turn to Hungary’s elections as a test of populism’s durability and close with a look at Iran’s viral AI-generated LEGO-style propaganda videos, which are unexpectedly winning the online n...

This week, Bill and Phil break down the war in Iran—from the president’s stark warning about Iranian civilization, to the fragile prospects for a ceasefire, to the global backlash against U.S. actions, including the controversy involving threatening the Pope. They also explore a surprising twist: segments of the far-right media turning on Trump.

This week, Bill and Phil ask whether the United States is acting as a rogue state—or a predatory hegemon—shaking the foundations of the international system. They then turn to a conversation on Christian identity politics, examining how the administration is using religious language to frame its war against Iran.

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the second week of the military operation in Iran, introduce the new Politics Lab Political Absurdity Index to evaluate the administration’s rhetoric about the war, and close with a look at the Texas primary.

This week, Bill and Phil examine the United States' preemptive invasion of Iran and discuss the fallout and implications of the operation.

This week, Bill and Phil sort through the longest State of the Union in American history, then discuss the largest buildup of American troops in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and whether it means war with Iran is likely.

This week, Bill and Phil breakdown Marco Rubio‘s big week of diplomacy, ponder whether George W. Bush was trolling Donald Trump in a recent essay about George Washington, and discuss whether Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito may soon retire. 

This week, Bill and Phil are heading into a speed round — quick hits on big topics: the 2026 midterms and election legitimacy, Trump’s latest social media controversy, the expiration of the last U.S.–Russia nuclear arms treaty, the pace of democratic backsliding, America’s declining soft power, tensions with Canada over a new border bridge, and yes… even a little Bad Bunny. 

This week, Bill and Phil react to the escalation of political violence in Minneapolis and then discuss the rupture of the liberal international order in the aftermath of the World Economic Forum.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss Trump’s return to Great Power politics - threats to Greenland, intervention in Venezuela, and potential regime change in Iran - then turn to the unrest in Minneapolis in response to ICE’s lethal tactics.

This week, Bill and Phil look back at the significance of 2025 and discuss the many ways that it broke precedents - both good and bad, and then make some predictions for 2026.

This week, Bill and Phil discuss the release of the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy and it’s claim that Europe is facing a civilization erasure and then play a new game we’re calling “This Week in Political Cringe”. 

This week, Bill and Phil explore the legality and political fallout from the Venezuelan boat strikes and then reflect on the state of Donald Trump’s agenda and what that means for the future of the Republican Party.

On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil celebrate Thanksgiving by handing out the highly coveted Turkey of the Year awards.

This week, Bill and Phil ponder whether political scandals matter anymore and then discuss George Orwell and whether Trump has created his own Orwellian version of 1984.

This week, Bill and Phil sort through the results of the 2025 midterms and discuss whether they tell us anything useful about American democracy, consider the legacy of Dick Cheney, and play another round of “What’s More Stupid?”.

This week, Bill and Phil ponder the metaphor of Trump tearing down part of the White House, return to the question propaganda and fascist politics in America, and then close with a new game we’re calling, “You’ve Got Hate Mail.”

This week, Bill and Phil share and reflect on their interview with Political Scientist and Author of How Democracies Die , Steven Levitsky. 

This week, Bill and Phil reflect on the deployment of the National Guard to blue cities across the country and then explore the difference between war and crime as it relates to Trump’s campaign against Venezuela.

This week, Bill and Phil look at the indictment of James Comey, Trump‘s speech to gathered military leaders, and the government shut down, and breakdown the ways that each represents the erosion of democratic norms.