Journal of Political Inquiry

Theory of Overcompensation

Government EN ↓ 2 episodes

Every day the news seems to get more and more bleak, and sometimes the study of international relations makes it feel like everything bad is inevitable. Instead of explaining global politics through the typical IR frameworks, like realism, liberalism, constructivism, all of which tend to ignore the psychological dimension of human behavior, we’re taking a new spin. We think that everybody, but world leaders especially, are overcompensating for something, and our mission is to identify – and satirize – what exactly they’re overcompensating for. This is the theory of overcompensation.

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Journal of Political Inquiry

Episodes

Every Politician Needs Therapy, but Especially Pam Bondi and Sara Duterte 27.02.2026 38:23

On this week’s episode, Julia and guest Isa Lauchengco discuss Pam Bondi’s testimony before Congress over the Justice Department’s botched release of the Epstein files and Sara Duterte’s campaign for president of the Philippines while her father, Rodrigo Duterte, faces trial at the International Criminal Court. Pam Bondi’s Testimony Rodrigo Duterte on Women Presidents Sara Duterte’s Campaign Anno...

Daddy Issues and Rich White Dude Entitlement – Breaking Down how Tulsi Gabbard and Peter Mandelson are Overcompensating 13.02.2026 37:49

In our inaugural episode, we dive deep into the role Tulsi Gabbard’s insecurities play in her participation in the Trump administration’s investigation of voter fraud from the 2020 election and how Peter Mandelson’s response to being named in the Epstein files, which is playing out in high drama in the UK, is representative of the response of so many of the Epstein class. Join host Julia Gubitosi...