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Government That Doesn't Suck

Rewind Studios 2 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

The government gets a bad rap. But the roads under your feet, the forecast on your phone, and the letter in your mailbox are all government too. Hosted by Professors Greg Jackson and Lindsey Cormack, Government That Doesn't Suck brings together the sharpest thinkers to reveal the real-world impact of American government, one episode at a time.

Episodes

Government Reform Before DOGE: NPRG and the Hoover Commission Oct 12, 2026 3194 Every generation of leaders inherits a government that feels too slow, too wasteful, or too tangled in its own rules. From the Hoover Commissions of the 1940s and 50s to Al Gore’s forklift full of regulations in the 1990s, the push to make government more efficient is nothing new, but lasting change is incredibly hard. Some efforts left real, durable reforms behind. Others made a lot of noise and

Introducing WHAT THE FACT with Connor Tomlinson and Carter Roy, a new Rewind podcast! Sep 30, 2026 2290 Fun fact: Did you know Jaws almost never existed because the shark kept sinking while filming? That is Connor Tomlinson just getting started. If that sounds fascinating, you are going to love Rewind Studios’ new podcast out now called WHAT THE FACT hosted by Connor Tomlinson and Carter Roy. It’s produced by the same team that brings you Government That Doesn't Suck.Connor and co-host Carter Roy pu

National Weather Service (Part II): A Day in the Life of Weatherman John Elliot Sep 28, 2026 2507 Hurricane season is almost here, and it’s time to ask yourself: Who do you want to be in charge of your weather forecast? For decades, the National Weather Service has provided free, life-saving forecasts to every American. This episode, we sit down with CBS meteorologist John Elliott to explore the science, history, and people behind America's weather forecasting system and the debate over privat

NASA and the Commercialization of Space Sep 14, 2026 4681 Following the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle disasters, the government had to rethink space exploration. In 2006, NASA launched the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, allocating $500 million to encourage American entrepreneurs to develop cost-effective cargo and crew transport for the ISS. Today, private enterprises like SpaceX, Starlink, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab are ubi

Before the First Amendment: The Trial of John Peter Zenger Aug 31, 2026 3788 In 1735, a colonial printer named John Peter Zenger spent nine months in jail for printing someone else's criticism of a corrupt governor, and his trial helped plant the seeds of a free press in America decades before the First Amendment existed. This episode, we trace the origins of press freedom, why "fake news" is a much older problem than you'd think, and why the Constitution protects the prin

National Weather Service Aug 17, 2026 2867 Hurricane season is upon us. Did you know that the weather app on your smartphone and the forecasts from TV meteorologists wouldn’t exist without data from the National Weather Service? Yep. The National Weather Service (NWS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides vital weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and p

The Spoils System / Pendleton Civil Service Act Aug 3, 2026 3468 It used to be that federal government jobs were awarded via a "spoils system," where political patronage and loyalty were the primary criteria for hiring and firing government employees. This system led to widespread corruption, incompetence, and inefficiency, as unqualified individuals often held positions due to their political connections rather than their abilities. The assassination of Presid

Moonshot / NASA Apollo missions Jul 20, 2026 3349 With its lavishly funded mandate to put a man on the moon, the Apollo mission promised to reinvigorate a country that had lost its way. But a new breed of activists denounced it as a colossal waste of resources needed to solve pressing problems at home. Neil Maher reveals that there were actually unexpected synergies between the space program and the budding environmental, feminist and civil right

We The Founders (The Constitution) Jul 6, 2026 2808 About 200 years ago, We the People created a baseline for a Government That Doesn’t Suck. "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. In today’s episode, Greg Jackson and Lindsey Cormack disc

Introducing Government That Doesn't Suck Jun 18, 2026 49 What problem was government trying to solve? What machinery did it build? And did it work? Every other Monday, Professor Greg Jackson and political scientist Professor Lindsey Cormack dig into the laws, agencies, and policies that actually shape American life. From the interstate highway system to the National Weather Service, they break down how government works, when it succeeds, and when the an

Government That Doesn't Suck

Episodes

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