Introducing Explain Like I'm 5

Introducing Explain Like I'm 5

Author: Michael Baranowski June 6, 2026 Duration: 1:51
Mike talks about the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast. I hope you will enjoy this excellent show as much as we do.

Tired of political conversations that feel more like shouting matches? The Politics Guys offers a different space, one built on civility and genuine expertise rather than partisan performance. Host Michael Baranowski guides discussions with a rotating panel of knowledgeable voices-political scientists, law professors, and attorneys who've worked within government. These aren't just pundits; they're practitioners and scholars who bring evidence and experience to the table. Each episode digs into the nuances of American policy and the political landscape, ensuring multiple perspectives are heard not as debate points, but as integral parts of a complex whole. You'll find the analysis here is grounded and deliberate, a conscious step away from the reactive news cycle. This podcast thrives on the principle that understanding different viewpoints is the foundation of a healthier democracy, not a compromise of one's own. It’s for anyone seeking depth over drama, and substance over soundbites, in their political listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Politics Guys
Podcast Episodes
Trump’s War, Trump’s Settlement, Trump’s Shadow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:34
Mike and Jay open with the increasingly strange U.S. war with Iran, where a still-closed Strait of Hormuz, murky ceasefire claims, stalled negotiations, and a House war powers vote have raised major questions about Trump…
Founders’ Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:28
Mike is joined by historian Arthur Herman to discuss his new book Founders’ Fire, which argues that America’s recurring strength comes from founders: risk-takers with the vision and drive to remake institutions, industri…
Pope Leo on AI, the DNC Autopsy, and Democratic Decline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:48
This supporters’ exclusive midweek episode opens with Mike, Michael, and Russ discussing Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which uses artificial intelligence as a lens for broader questions about huma…
Iran Deal, Paxton’s Texas Win, and the Redistricting Arms Race [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
Mike, Michael, and Russ open with the tentative U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and whether it amounts to a real end to the war or just a pause. Michael argues that the deal mostly returns the conflict to where it…
The Politics Guys Present: The U.S. Constitution, Article II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:54
This episode explores the intricacies of Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, focusing on the presidency, electoral processes, and historical debates that shaped the office. Topics covered include: Vesting clause and inhe…
Originalism, Executive Power, and the Roberts Court [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:29
Mike talks with Thomas Berry, director of the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and editor in chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review, about how to understand the Supreme Court beyond simpl…
Political Ideologies: Environmentalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:30
In this supporter-exclusive midweek episode, Trey is joined by Justin, and begin their discussion of modern ideologies with a deep dive into Environmentalism. On this week’s show, Trey and Justin discuss: Core principles…
Lamar Alexander: The Education of a Senator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:31
Mike talks with former Tennessee governor, U.S. senator, education secretary, and presidential candidate Lamar Alexander about his new book, The Education of a Senator, and what his long career reveals about how American…