Do Donors Punish Extremist Primary Nominees?

Do Donors Punish Extremist Primary Nominees?

Author: University of Chicago Podcast Network November 14, 2025 Duration: 59:29
What happens when a political party nominates a candidate in its primary who is ideologically extreme? Do donors, especially those outside the party’s base, react — and if so, how? That question is explored in a new paper by Andy Christopher Wayne Myers, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at Stanford University. He uncovers how donors respond when a relative “moderate” is replaced by a more extreme nominee and if the force of donors is actually weaker than it once was.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant churn of political news, where hot takes often replace deeper understanding. Not Another Politics Podcast cuts through that noise by grounding current events in the tools of political science. Hosted by Harris School of Public Policy professors William Howell, Anthony Fowler, and Wioletta Dziuda, this conversation from the University of Chicago Podcast Network moves past opinion and anecdote. Instead, each episode applies rigorous scholarship, analysis of large data sets, and foundational theory to the day’s biggest stories. What you’ll hear is a thoughtful examination of the mechanisms, institutions, and voter behaviors that actually drive outcomes, offering clarity where there is typically confusion. This isn’t a reactionary debate show; it’s a space where academic insight meets practical politics, giving you a more durable framework for understanding power, policy, and elections. Tune in for a genuinely fresh perspective that prioritizes evidence over echo chambers, making this podcast a resource for anyone who wants to move beyond the headlines and understand the why behind the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Not Another Politics Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Why Does America Pay More For Infrastructure? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:42
We're off this week for a much-needed spring break, but we wanted to re-share this episode that feels more relevant than ever. Infrastructure in the U.S. now costs dramatically more than in countries like Germany or Croa…
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Duration: 38:43
Are Americans really polarized along party lines? Today, we discuss a new paper from our co-host Anthony Fowler, about one of the most common tools researchers use to measure public opinion: simple yes-or-no survey quest…
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Duration: 52:58
Is academic dishonesty connected to political power in China? That question is explored in a new paper from Shaoda Wang, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Wang and his co-au…
The Future of Empirical Research in the Age of AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
In this episode, we sit down with Stanford political scientist Andy Hall and PhD candidate Graham Straus to unpack their new paper, “How Accurately Did Claude Code Replicate and Extend a Published Political Science Paper…
Are Primary Elections Responsible for Polarization in Congress? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:34
Do members of Congress vote differently when they are worried about winning their party’s primary election? On today's episode, Ethan and Wioletta interview Anthony about his forthcoming paper, “Do Primary Elections Exac…
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Duration: 55:20
Do politicians really understand what drives voters—or are they relying on flawed assumptions that could shape democracy in troubling ways? As we take some time off for the holidays, we wanted to re-share our episode wit…
Do Professors Self-Censor On Controversial Topics? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:59
In this episode, we speak with Cory Clark, behavioral scientist and Associate Professor of Psychology at New College of Florida. We discuss her paper, “Taboos and Self-Censorship Among U.S. Psychology Professors," which…
Is Partisan Gerrymandering As Bad As You Think? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:42
There is no political topic that can get people’s blood boiling quite like partisan gerrymandering. But what do we know about how effective it is and what the data shows about its outcomes? This week, we're re-releasing…
The Economic Cost of Populism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:34
More than 25 percent of countries around the world are currently governed by populists, from Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and Donald Trump in the United States. Based on these findings,…
Is Political Science Research Underpowered? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:49
What if most political science studies are too weak to find the effects they’re looking for? In this episode, we dig into a new paper by Vincent Arel-Bundock and colleagues that reveals a striking truth: quantitative pol…