Political Theater

38

Have you ever asked, “WTF?,” about politics? Or, “who are these people making decisions about my life?” Political Theater pulls back the curtain on the stunts, antics and motivations that drive Washington. Host Jason Dick and the Roll Call team spotlight the spectacle, the players and what’s going on behind the curtain in Washington’s long-running drama: Congress.

Recent Episodes
  • It’s déjà tea party all over again
    Jun 10, 2025 – 27:55
  • The 'predicament and necessity' of documentary movies
    Jun 4, 2025 – 25:37
  • The grand tour of Washington
    May 27, 2025 – 31:24
  • That's a lot of Supreme Court there
    May 20, 2025 – 51:16
  • Call it the Most Not Invulnerable List
    May 13, 2025 – 35:59
  • Still vulnerable, even while batting .400
    May 8, 2025 – 44:31
  • Six degrees of 100 days ...
    Apr 30, 2025 – 26:53
  • Golden State meets ‘Golden Age’
    Apr 11, 2025 – 43:24
  • Much ado about special elections
    Apr 3, 2025 – 32:26
  • The Thai popcorn does not detract
    Mar 27, 2025 – 26:29
  • At the Gridiron, laughter in the dark
    Mar 19, 2025 – 25:27
  • Democrats at (in?) retreat
    Mar 12, 2025 – 21:10
  • Protest, retreat, hide? Congressional behavior, 2025-style
    Mar 6, 2025 – 20:02
  • ‘Yeah, I don’t love that,’ or how the House learned to start jamming the Senate
    Feb 27, 2025 – 24:56
  • 'If I can get you to feel' -- politics, wrestling and connecting with people
    Feb 19, 2025 – 40:15
  • ‘Beauty never gets old’ -- Slava Leontyev in the ‘Porcelain War’
    Feb 11, 2025 – 30:26
  • Having a plan beats not having a plan
    Feb 6, 2025 – 26:26
  • Instability as norm? Or test?
    Jan 30, 2025 – 35:41
  • Pardon me? Tales of presidential pardons
    Jan 22, 2025 – 31:10
  • Appointed senators: The winners, seat-warmers, losers and weirdos
    Jan 15, 2025 – 42:22
  • So you say you want to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget
    Jan 8, 2025 – 34:17
  • Looking ahead to 2025's biggest political stories
    Dec 18, 2024 – 41:47
  • Revenge of the Senate
    Dec 11, 2024 – 50:08
  • Home improvements for the House
    Dec 4, 2024 – 44:52
  • A very judgy lame duck
    Nov 21, 2024 – 26:28
  • Who are these guys? The Congress-to-Cabinet revue
    Nov 14, 2024 – 39:59
  • 5 big questions about this election with Nathan Gonzales
    Nov 7, 2024 – 13:48
  • The last Most Vulnerable Incumbents lists of the 2024 cycle
    Oct 31, 2024 – 33:11
  • But is it art? Unpacking ‘The Apprentice’
    Oct 23, 2024 – 22:32
  • What it means for an electoral race to be unstable
    Oct 18, 2024 – 27:14
  • ‘War Game’: Rehearsing the uncomfortably plausible
    Oct 9, 2024 – 33:57
  • "Sleepy" but consequential term awaits Supreme Court
    Oct 2, 2024 – 25:32
  • Tales of the three-headed incumbent: Biden/Harris/Trump
    Sep 25, 2024 – 22:18
  • One last journey down Roll Call's Jersey Turnpike
    Sep 19, 2024 – 30:44
  • The surprises, lessons and exhaustion of the congressional primaries
    Sep 12, 2024 – 40:23
  • When political realignment happens before your eyes; Amanda Becker discusses ‘You Must Stand Up’
    Sep 5, 2024 – 31:55
  • Members of Congress get ready to kick out the jams
    Aug 30, 2024 – 28:16
  • Sweet (temporary) home Chicago
    Aug 22, 2024 – 24:32
  • DNC-adjacent: Stories in the convention’s orbit
    Aug 15, 2024 – 41:44
  • Ohio, the [political] heart of it all
    Aug 1, 2024 – 39:09
  • Yes things feel crazy, but elections are frequently chaotic, from LBJ to RBG and more
    Jul 26, 2024 – 33:36
  • Happy Days for Republicans in Milwaukee
    Jul 18, 2024 – 37:39
  • Just the facts, just the facts, with factba.se
    Jul 11, 2024 – 29:24
  • Nathan Gonzales just can't wait to get on the road again
    Jun 27, 2024 – 24:22
  • Two years in the post-Dobbs world
    Jun 21, 2024 – 35:16
  • When being ambassador to Iceland isn't enough
    Jun 13, 2024 – 44:32
  • Gathering in dark rooms: Sky Sitney on DC/DOX’s upcoming festival
    Jun 4, 2024 – 41:02
  • Summertime, and the political news is busy
    May 24, 2024 – 53:51
  • Primary colors: Breaking down the latest congressional contests
    May 16, 2024 – 34:16
  • How to get yourself on Roll Call's Most Vulnerable Incumbents list
    May 8, 2024 – 32:55
Recent Reviews
  • andydbaxter
    Great for politics nerds!
    I thoroughly enjoy the cheerful and neutral approach that this podcast usually takes in analyzing the spectacle of politics. The specific theme allows concentration on fun and interesting stories that are often otherwise overlooked. Great for politics nerds! Also, I have tremendous respect for the reporters’ recent coverage of the invasion of the Capitol. The podcast on the following day was extremely insightful into the events that occurred and the potential next steps. More than anyone else, these reporters were the ones that I looked to in order to make sense of the situation, both during and after, because they are true experts and professionals in their field and have therefore earned my trust.
  • Hill Staffer
    Hill Staffer
    Audio is terrible and is what holds this podcast back
  • Nbee2
    always timely and enjoyable
    great quick hit podcast that brings together timely political news with cultural insights
  • AntieWHC
    Usually a decent podcast
    But it’s disappointing that the episode on the Kavanaugh hearing overlooked Mazie Hirono as a senator up for re-election.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.