The Science of Politics

Matt Grossmann

contact@niskanencenter.org

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Booking Overview

A research-driven political science interview show focused on data-based explanations of major trends in American politics, typically featuring two academic researchers per episode. Agencies could credibly pitch political scientists, sociologists, and public-policy researchers with original studies, books, or other substantive expertise on U.S. political behavior and institutions; booking difficulty is low because the program specifically seeks up-and-coming researchers rather than only prominent public figures.

Metrics

Episodes: 226

Frequency: Biweekly

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Unknown

Location: USA

Contact Information

contact@niskanencenter.org

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Matt Grossmann - Political scientist and scholar of American politics, with expertise in political parties, public policy, elections, and political institutions.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

low
Typical Credentials:  
Political scientists, sociologists, and public-policy researchers with original data-driven studies or specialized expertise in American politics.
Required Achievements:  
Published original political research, Conducted studies of American political behavior or institutions, Developed evidence-based findings relevant to current political trends

Recent Guest Discussions

Zach Albert - How Small Donors Influence Candidate Behavior, Political Parties, And Representation.

Ray La Raja - The Ideological, Partisan, And Behavioral Effects Of Small-dollar Political Donors.

Mackenzie Dobson - Whether Training Programs Improve Legislators’ Ability To Advance Bills And The Structural Factors That Shape Legislative Effectiveness.

Delia Baldassarri - Political Alignment Among Younger Americans, Elite Polarization, And Misperceptions Of Opposing Partisans.

Recent Topics

Political Science, American Politics, Political Behavior, Political Institutions, Public Policy

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
The Science of Politics
:

The rise of small donors is mostly making politics worse

July 08, 2026

Candidates celebrate when their campaigns are funded by small contributions. Small donors are playing far greater roles in American politics but they are not having the positive envisioned effects. Ray La Raja and Zach Albert find that small donors are just as advantaged, partisan, and extreme as larger donors, but more impulsive, empowering show horse celebrities and norm breakers over consensus-building lawmakers. They want to redirect reformers’ energy toward strengthening political partie...

Can We Make Legislators More Effective?

June 24, 2026

We fear that legislatures are gridlocked and performative, rather than focused on actually passing new laws. But some legislators are consistently more effective than others, at the state and national levels. Can we train legislators to be more effective at advancing their bills? Mackenzie Dobson finds that training programs for state legislators don’t make them more effective than their untrained colleagues. Most of the factors that make legislators more effective are structural: the competi...

Will young Americans become long-term democrats?

June 10, 2026

Elite polarization may be helping young people sort out their politics but it could also make them misperceive how the other side lives. Delia Baldassarri finds that millennial and gen Z are now aligning their issue positions with partisanship as much as older generations. They are choosing their party more based on cultural and moral issues and, up to now, that’s been helping Democrats. But partisans assume that the other side has more stereotypical social groups and extreme views than they ...

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