PODCAST · news
The Prelim Brief
by Graham Diedrich
The Prelim Brief distills the foundational books, landmark papers, and core debates that define political science. Each episode breaks down a major work in American politics.
Episodes
-
Psychological Undercurrents: Socialization, Morality, and Bias
This final episode dives into the deep-seated psychological factors that structure political life before a voter even reaches the ballot box.
-
Democratic Accountability: Representation and Inequality
This episode will investigate the core of democratic health: does the government actually do what the people want, and does it listen to everyone equally? Key topics include: The Representative's Dilemma: A look at the classic Miller & Stokes (1963) study on whether legislators act as "delegates"...
-
Information Wars: Media, Framing, and Persuasion
This episode will explore the mechanics of how information travels from the media and elites to the average citizen. It covers a wide range of research, including: The Power of Media: We'll look at the classic "minimal effects" and "two-step flow" models from Lazarsfeld et al. (1944), and compare...
-
The Power of the Group: Race, Identity, and Self-Interest
This episode explores why people often prioritize the "we" over the "I" in politics. It dives into the following key research: Racial Resentment vs. Self-Interest: Discussing Kinder & Sanders (1996) and their finding that symbolic predispositions—rather than personal material stakes—drive White...
-
The Dynamics of Engagement: Participation and Mobilization
This episode will focus on why people choose to engage in politics, moving from the theoretical "paradox of voting" to the practical resources and networks that make participation possible. Key points include: Rational Choice and Subsidies: Exploring Aldrich (1993) and the idea that political...
-
The Roots of the Vote: Partisanship and Economic Evaluation
This episode will focus on the psychological and rational foundations of voting behavior, specifically exploring: The Origins of Partisanship: A comparison between the "Michigan School" view of party ID as a stable, inherited social identity (Campbell et al. 1960) and the "running tally" model,...
-
The Informed Public? Ideology, Constraint, and Heuristics
Explores whether citizens hold stable ideologies or just "non-attitudes," and how they use shortcuts to navigate politics. Key Readings: Converse (1964) Zaller (1992) Page & Shapiro (1992) Lupia (1994) Kinder & Kalmoe (2017)
-
Local Politics, Policy Diffusion, and Representation
Focuses on the unique dynamics of city and local governance. It will explore: Policy Diffusion: How policies like smoking bans spread through learning, competition, imitation, and coercion (Shipan & Volden 2008). The Power of Homeowners: How property ownership motivates intense local…
more -
Judicial Behavior and Strategic Decision-Making
Explore how judges and justices make decisions, looking at the tension between ideological voting (the attitudinal model) and strategic behavior that accounts for other branches of government. Key Readings: Cameron & Kastellec (2023) Martin & Quinn (2002) Glynn & Sen (2017) Bonica & Sen (2020)
-
Executive Power and Bureaucratic Interaction
Examine the strategic expansion of presidential power and the complex internal world of the bureaucracy. Key Readings: Lowande (2024) Moe (1998) Moe & Howell (1999) Kinane (2021) Potter (2019) Mummolo (2018) Eckhouse (2022) Bolton et al. (2021 Bellodi et al. (2026) Ba et al. (2022)
-
Distributive Politics and Federal Spending
Explores whether committee membership or leadership positions actually drive local spending, how the President strategically uses federal funds to reward co-partisans and loyal voters, and how things like disaster aid can actually shift voter turnout. Also covers the methodological tension…
more -
Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Strategic Influence
Analyzes how external actors like ALEC or individual donors gain access to and subsidize the legislative process with information or resources. Key Readings: Hertel-Fernandez (2014) Kalla & Broockman (2016) Hall & Deardorff (2006) Crosson, Furnas, & Lorenz (2020) Shepherd & You (2020) Li (2018)
-
Congressional Strategy and Institutional Constraints
Explores how individual and party goals, like reelection or partisan advantage, interact with institutional rules to shape legislative outcomes. Key Readings: Diermeier & Krehbiel (2003) Mayhew (1974), Volden & Wiseman (2014) Lee (2016) Krehbiel (1998) Park (2021) Fong (2023) Kirkland & Phillips...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Prelim Brief have?
The Prelim Brief currently has 13 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Prelim Brief about?
The Prelim Brief distills the foundational books, landmark papers, and core debates that define political science. Each episode breaks down a major work in American politics.
How often does The Prelim Brief release new episodes?
The Prelim Brief has 13 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Prelim Brief?
You can listen to The Prelim Brief on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Prelim Brief?
The Prelim Brief is created and hosted by Graham Diedrich.
URL copied to clipboard!