Checks & Balances

About Checks & Balances

Protecting the Constitution and rule of law against illiberalism, without regard to political party or partisan affiliation. Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. chkbal.substack.com (https://chkbal.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Checks & Balances

Category

government · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Jun 2026

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

14 of 18 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Can Trump Take Control of the Midterms?

   Former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter and Gregg Nunziata discuss the weakening of election safeguards and potential threats to the midterm certification process in this interview.

2. 

   30 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Is the Right Abandoning Its Own Principles?

   Host Gregg Nunziata interviews Reason senior editor Stephanie Slade about her book, exploring if the American Right prioritizes winning over its core principles.

3. 

   25 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How Hitler Used Democracy to DESTROY It

   Historian Timothy Ryback and host Gregg Nunziata explore how Hitler dismantled German democracy in 1933, offering lessons for contemporary America.

4. 

   18 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Federal Judges Under Siege: Threats to Judicial Independence

   Gregg Nunziata interviews Amrit Singh and Jeremy Fogel about threats to judicial independence and recommendations for strengthening it.

5. 

   8 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   “Everybody Agrees: This is a Rule of Law Imperative”

   William Baude and Gregg Nunziata discuss the postal service executive order, Supreme Court cases, and uniform time development in this interview.

6. 

   26 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Congress’s Core Work is Negotiation w/ Yuval Levin

   Gregg Nunziata interviews Yuval Levin, director at AEI, discussing how negotiation is Congress's core work and the impact of AI on our constitutional system.

7. 

   19 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   “We Don’t Just Have One Constitution. We Have Fifty-One.” w/ Justice Clint Bolick

   Justice Clint Bolick joins Gregg Nunziata to explore how state constitutions protect individual rights and safeguard the rule of law.

8. 

   12 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Stephen Richer on How Elections Actually Work

   Gregg Nunziata interviews Stephen Richer, former Recorder of Maricopa County, AZ, about the mechanics and security of U.S. elections.

9. 

   5 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Past, Present, and Future of the Conservative Legal Movement

   Gregg Nunziata interviews John Malcolm, Vice President of the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law, discussing the conservative legal movement's past, present, and future.

10. 

    28 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    The Answer Can't Always Be Yes

    Greg Jacob, counsel to Vice President Mike Pence, discusses with Gregg Nunziata how restraint embodies the rule of law, offering insights into public service and legal academia.

11. 

    22 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Why the Supreme Court Needs Humility

    Donald Ayer, Deputy Attorney General under George H.W. Bush, discusses with Gregg Nunziata the conservative case for judicial humility and the Supreme Court's recent decisions.

12. 

    15 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    "It Doesn't Just Survive on Autopilot"

    Presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Gregg Nunziata discuss the fragility of republics and the enduring effort required to sustain the American experiment in this interview.

13. 

    8 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    What If Trump Seizes the Ballots?

    Richard Bernstein interviews Gregg Nunziata about the Supreme Court's potential actions if a president attempts to seize ballots during an election.

14. 

    6 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Bonus Episode: Why 1776 Still Matters at America's 250th Birthday

    Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Edward Larson discusses with Gregg Nunziata how 1776's state constitutions, not just the Declaration, established popular sovereignty and offer lessons on executive power and peaceful transitions.

15. 

    30 Jun 2026

    The Justice Department is Broken. Here's How We Fix It.

    Former Acting Attorney General Stuart Gerson and Gregg Nunziata discuss the DOJ's broken independence and how to restore the rule of law in this interview.

16. 

    24 Jun 2026

    Corruption Blooming Like Algae in the Reflecting Pool

    Norm Eisen, former White House Ethics Czar, discusses corruption and reform with host Gregg Nunziata on Checks & Balances, offering insights into judicial resilience and bipartisan solutions.

17. 

    19 Jun 2026

    David French: The Executive Branch Is Becoming an 800-Pound Gorilla

    New York Times opinion writer David French discusses the expanding executive branch and the judiciary's role with host Gregg Nunziata in this interview.

18. 

    9 Jun 2026

    Judicial Independence is the Cornerstone of Democracy

    Judge J. Michael Luttig joins Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute, for the inaugural episode of the Checks & Balances podcast. They discuss why judicial independence is the fundamental cornerstone of democracy, the rule of retired judges, and the unprecedented rule-of-law challenges facing the country today. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe (https://chkbal.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Inside a recent episode

Can Trump Take Control of the Midterms?

Published 7 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So his view was that the system had ended up exactly where the Watergate reforms were supposed to stop it from going. tying large sums of money given by corporations, unions, wealthy individuals to party committees with legislative outcomes, with policy decisions. And so fundamentally, the McCain-Feingold law was not radical. It was an attempt to clean up the system and go back to where we had been in 74 and 76 with the post Watergate laws, take corporate and labor union money out of it, require disclosure and stop having party committees raise and spend money, soft money outside of the limits. […]

Who has been a guest on Checks & Balances

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Trevor Potter
• Stephanie Slade
• Timothy Ryback
• Amrit Singh
• Jeremy Fogel

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.4 / 5

7 ratings

Contact Checks & Balances

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Checks & Balances