Is This the Most Unexpected Voter Turnout Strategy Ever?

Is This the Most Unexpected Voter Turnout Strategy Ever?

Author: University of Chicago Podcast Network May 8, 2025 Duration: 41:09
What if one of the most powerful tools to boost voter turnout isn’t a flashy campaign or a new voting law—but being randomly forced to work the polls? In this episode, we explore a surprising study of women in 1930s Spain who were randomly assigned to serve as poll workers—just after they gained the right to vote. The results? A massive, 30-point increase in future voting behavior. Is this just a historical curiosity—or a window into how habit, exposure, and civic experience shape democracy? We speak with researcher Toni Rodon about his paper Working for Democracy: Poll Officers and the Turnout Gender Gap, and unpack what this unexpected experiment teaches us about gender, political culture, and the power of participation.

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
Did Voter Turnout Drop in Communities of Color After Shelby? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:08
Nearly a decade ago, the Supreme Court effectively removed the "preclearance" process in its Shelby County v. Holder decision. That process had been implemented for decades as part of the Voting Rights Act and required p…
Do Local Minimum Wages Represent Local Preferences? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:57
Advocates for the striking down of Roe by the Supreme Court say this will improve our politics by allowing people’s preferences to be better represented at the State level. But do State and local governments accurately m…
Roe & Departure From Precedent In The Supreme Court [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:41
There’s long been a belief that the Supreme Court rarely departs from precedent. But as the court appears to intend to strike down Roe, we’re wondering what the data tell us about how consistent the Supreme Court has bee…
Revealing New Data On Who Donates To Campaigns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:36
There are many questions surrounding the nature of money in politics, but one of the first order questions we should be asking is who exactly is donating that money? We now have access to more data than ever due to a dra…
Best Of: Fixing the Filibuster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:49
As the academic year draws to a close at The University of Chicago, our hosts are busy attending to the last minute activities of a professor. So, this week we wanted to re-share one of our favorite episodes interrogatin…
Nuclear Brinkmanship In Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:56
One of the biggest questions surrounding the conflict in Ukraine is to what extent the shadow of nuclear war affects the degree of involvement by Western countries. Much of the literature in nuclear deterrence theory ass…
What Happens When Fox News Viewers Watch CNN Instead? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:03
When it comes to cable news, Fox and CNN have pretty partisan viewers. So, what would happen if Fox viewers tuned into CNN for a month? Would they suddenly adopt different views more aligned with CNN? UC Berkeley politic…
Does Russian Propaganda Influence Ukrainians? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:08
By now, we've heard a lot about how state-owned Russian television is distorting the truth about the war in Ukraine. But Russian TV doesn't just reach Russian viewers. Some Ukrainians can receive its analog television si…
Why Are Cities Hiring Lobbyists? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:17
We know that lobbyists have the power to influence politics. But not all lobbyists are working on behalf of corporate interest groups. Sometimes, city officials actually hire lobbyists to represent the interests of their…

«1...678910