Democracy faces a wide range of pressing challenges - from extreme partisanship and divisive politics to persistent inequities in access, voice and participation in public institutions and decision-making processes, from civic unrest to institutions that aren't responsive to public needs. It's not enough to just identify problems, we also have to locate solutions and work collectively to address them. Welcome to Politics Is Everything, a podcast of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Podcaster Michael Pope interviews Frank Atkinson about his new political thriller, The Lion's Den. Drawing on Atkinson's decades of experience in politics, law, and public service, the novel explores the collisions of ambition, loyalty, power, and principle through the story of a young man drawn into the rough-and-tumble world of Virginia politics. Hear about the real-world experiences and enduring questions that inspired the book.
7 Apr 2026
Campaigns That Shaped America
In this episode of Politics is Everything, host Michael Pope sits down with Larry J. Sabato, Ken Stroupe, and Glenn Crossman for a behind-the-scenes conversation about "Campaigns That Shaped America" the major new multimedia exhibition opening at the all-new Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Spanning presidential politics from George Washington to the present, the exhibition explores how campaigns have shaped not only elections, but also leadership, citizenship, public debate, media, and the nation itself.
The conversation highlights some of the exhibition's most compelling artifacts and themes, from early campaign buttons, broadsides, and cartoons to sound recordings, television ads, and modern campaign media. Along the way, the group reflects on why campaigns matter, how political persuasion has evolved, and what these objects reveal about the long, messy, inventive, and deeply human story of how Campaigns shape American democracy. The exhibition is open to the public weekdays from 11am to 3pm at the UVA Center for Politics.
29 Feb 2024
Primary Results, Redistricting Shifts, and the History of Senate/Presidential Ticket-Splitting
Kyle Kondik and Carah Ong Whaley discuss Senator Mitch McConnell’s legacy after he announced his intention to step down from his role as Senate Republican Leader effective November 2024. They also talk about the Michigan presidential primary election results; the impact of district changes after the New York State Assembly and Senate both passed a new New York Congressional map this week that was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul; a preview of the California Congressional primary; and the recent history of split-ticket voting in presidential and Senate elections.
Links in this episode:
The Postwar History of Senate/Presidential Ticket-Splitting, Part Two
Notes on the State of Politics: Feb. 28, 2024
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