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The Lever & David Sirota

Master Plan

A History , News and Politics podcast

#68 in History · 🇺🇸 #69 in History · 🇧🇷
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About the show

SEASON 3: DON'T F#*K IT UP, DEMOCRATS SEASON 2: THE KINGMAKERS SEASON 1: LEGALIZING CORRUPTION Master Plan, the award-winning investigative podcast series from The Lever, reveals the hidden forces behind today’s biggest problems — and how small groups of powerful people engineered those problems to serve their own interests. We are exposing their schemes. Narrated by David Sirota, an award-winning investigative journalist and Oscar nominee for his work on the film Don’t Look Up. Master Plan has received the 2025 National Press Club Award for Audio Journalism, the New York Festivals Radio Award for Best Investigative Journalism Podcast, multiple Signal Awards for Best News & Politics Podcast and Best Writing. It was an Ambies finalist for Best Politics podcast and was named a Webby Awards Honoree. Learn more at masterplanpodcast.com For early access to future episodes and exclusive bonus content, ⁠⁠click here to upgrade to a paid subscription⁠⁠ to The Lever.

Newest episodes

Will Democrats Actually Fight Corruption? | Michael Beckel

44 min

Billionaires and corporate interests poured staggering amounts of money into the midterms. But many successful Democratic candidates, like Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, campaigned against corruption and big-money influence. Now comes the hard part: Will Democrats take on the corrupt political system they pledged to fight? WATCH: Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube, or catch up on the full Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats series. In Episode 3 of Don’t F#*k It Up, Democrats, David Sirota speaks with Michael Beckel, director of money in politics reform at the bipartisan organization Issue One, about how wealthy donors, corporate lobbyists, and super PACs influence Washington — and what Democrats can do to break their grip. GET THE MASTER PLAN BOOK: Want to know how America's campaign finance system became so corrupt? Check out Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America, featuring additional reporting and material beyond the podcast. Lever subscribers save 20%, and new paid members receive a special offer. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Big-Money Corruption Machine 02:48 Michael Beckel of Issue One 03:40 Part 1: How Big Money Controls Washington 08:25 The Hidden Influence of Corporate Think Tanks 11:35 Congress's Secret Fundraising Quotas 18:13 What Democrats Can Do With Their New Power 19:53 Can Super PAC Money Be Limited? 25:16 Part 2: How to Break the Big-Money Machine 31:16 The Case for Publicly Funded Elections 36:57 Don’t F#*k It Up on Money in Politics Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. #DontFuckItUpDemocrats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Democrats Take On The Tech Oligarchs? | Gil Duran & Saikat Chakrabarti | Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats

54 min

Silicon Valley's billionaires have amassed enormous economic and political power. Some have even embraced an ideology that sees democracy itself as an obstacle to progress. Now that Democrats are heading back into power in Washington, will they finally take on the broligarchy? In Episode 2 of Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats, David Sirota examines the growing power of tech billionaires, the threat of an AI economic crisis, and what Democrats can do about it. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. Journalist Gil Duran, author of The Nerd Reich, explains the anti-democratic movement emerging from Silicon Valley and why Democrats have been so slow to confront it. Then Saikat Chakrabarti, co-founder of Justice Democrats and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, discusses how Democrats can rein in Big Tech, protect workers from AI disruption, and prevent a taxpayer bailout for tech billionaires if the AI boom goes bust. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Age of the Broligarchy 02:27 Gil Duran: Inside the Nerd Reich 09:57 Why Tech Billionaires Want to Replace Democracy 16:28 Have Democrats Lost Silicon Valley? 23:47 How to Break the Tech Oligarchs' Power 28:34 Saikat Chakrabarti: The Coming AI Bailout 35:27 Will Washington Bail Out Big Tech Again? 40:55 AI Is Coming for Your Job. What's the Plan? Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. #DontFuckItUpDemocrats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fight for the Democratic Party's Future | Robert Reich & Patrick Gaspard | Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats

56 min

After losing big in 2024, Democrats have staged a historic comeback, riding a massive blue wave back into power in Washington. Now comes the bigger question: What will they do with it? That's the idea behind Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats, a new video series from The Lever hosted by David Sirota. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. In conversations with politicians, economists, activists, and political insiders, Sirota asks how Democrats can use whatever power they win — without repeating the mistakes that brought them here. In Episode 1, we explore the civil war dividing the Democratic Party. As the party returns from the wilderness, will it once again bend to wealthy donors, or will it embrace voters’ populist demands, rebuild working-class trust, and finally deliver on its promises?  Joining Sirota are Robert Reich, who served as Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton and has become a leading progressive voice on economic inequality, and Patrick Gaspard, a longtime Democratic strategist and labor organizer who served as political director in Barack Obama's White House and recently advised Zohran Mamdani's successful mayoral campaign. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. Watch the series on YouTube. CHAPTERS 0:00 A Note From Sirota 1:12 Democrats Have a Habit of Blowing It 4:50 Robert Reich: How Democrats Can Fight Back 10:53 The Democratic Party's Corporate Problem 15:46 How Do Democrats Avoid F#*king It Up? 23:13 Patrick Gaspard: What Democrats Got Wrong 30:16 When Billionaire Donors Call the Shots 34:52 What Democrats Can Learn From Zohran Mamdani 39:50 What Democrats Need to Deliver, Now 46:15 The Lesson Trump Taught Democrats Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of ind...

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All episodes

The newest 32 of 46 episodes

Will Democrats Actually Fight Corruption? | Michael Beckel

44 min

Billionaires and corporate interests poured staggering amounts of money into the midterms. But many successful Democratic candidates, like Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, campaigned against corruption and big-money influence. Now comes the hard part: Will Democrats take on the corrupt political system they pledged to fight? WATCH: Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube, or catch up on the full Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats series. In Episode 3 of Don’t F#*k It Up, Democrats, David Sirota speaks with Michael Beckel, director of money in politics reform at the bipartisan organization Issue One, about how wealthy donors, corporate lobbyists, and super PACs influence Washington — and what Democrats can do to break their grip. GET THE MASTER PLAN BOOK: Want to know how America's campaign finance system became so corrupt? Check out Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America, featuring additional reporting and material beyond the podcast. Lever subscribers save 20%, and new paid members receive a special offer. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Big-Money Corruption Machine 02:48 Michael Beckel of Issue One 03:40 Part 1: How Big Money Controls Washington 08:25 The Hidden Influence of Corporate Think Tanks 11:35 Congress's Secret Fundraising Quotas 18:13 What Democrats Can Do With Their New Power 19:53 Can Super PAC Money Be Limited? 25:16 Part 2: How to Break the Big-Money Machine 31:16 The Case for Publicly Funded Elections 36:57 Don’t F#*k It Up on Money in Politics Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. #DontFuckItUpDemocrats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Democrats Take On The Tech Oligarchs? | Gil Duran & Saikat Chakrabarti | Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats

54 min

Silicon Valley's billionaires have amassed enormous economic and political power. Some have even embraced an ideology that sees democracy itself as an obstacle to progress. Now that Democrats are heading back into power in Washington, will they finally take on the broligarchy? In Episode 2 of Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats, David Sirota examines the growing power of tech billionaires, the threat of an AI economic crisis, and what Democrats can do about it. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. Journalist Gil Duran, author of The Nerd Reich, explains the anti-democratic movement emerging from Silicon Valley and why Democrats have been so slow to confront it. Then Saikat Chakrabarti, co-founder of Justice Democrats and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, discusses how Democrats can rein in Big Tech, protect workers from AI disruption, and prevent a taxpayer bailout for tech billionaires if the AI boom goes bust. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Age of the Broligarchy 02:27 Gil Duran: Inside the Nerd Reich 09:57 Why Tech Billionaires Want to Replace Democracy 16:28 Have Democrats Lost Silicon Valley? 23:47 How to Break the Tech Oligarchs' Power 28:34 Saikat Chakrabarti: The Coming AI Bailout 35:27 Will Washington Bail Out Big Tech Again? 40:55 AI Is Coming for Your Job. What's the Plan? Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. #DontFuckItUpDemocrats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fight for the Democratic Party's Future | Robert Reich & Patrick Gaspard | Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats

56 min

After losing big in 2024, Democrats have staged a historic comeback, riding a massive blue wave back into power in Washington. Now comes the bigger question: What will they do with it? That's the idea behind Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats, a new video series from The Lever hosted by David Sirota. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. In conversations with politicians, economists, activists, and political insiders, Sirota asks how Democrats can use whatever power they win — without repeating the mistakes that brought them here. In Episode 1, we explore the civil war dividing the Democratic Party. As the party returns from the wilderness, will it once again bend to wealthy donors, or will it embrace voters’ populist demands, rebuild working-class trust, and finally deliver on its promises?  Joining Sirota are Robert Reich, who served as Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton and has become a leading progressive voice on economic inequality, and Patrick Gaspard, a longtime Democratic strategist and labor organizer who served as political director in Barack Obama's White House and recently advised Zohran Mamdani's successful mayoral campaign. WATCH: The video version of this episode is available on The Lever's YouTube channel. Watch the series on YouTube. CHAPTERS 0:00 A Note From Sirota 1:12 Democrats Have a Habit of Blowing It 4:50 Robert Reich: How Democrats Can Fight Back 10:53 The Democratic Party's Corporate Problem 15:46 How Do Democrats Avoid F#*king It Up? 23:13 Patrick Gaspard: What Democrats Got Wrong 30:16 When Billionaire Donors Call the Shots 34:52 What Democrats Can Learn From Zohran Mamdani 39:50 What Democrats Need to Deliver, Now 46:15 The Lesson Trump Taught Democrats Get episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of ind...

New Trailer: Don’t F#*k It Up, Democrats

4 min

Democrats have spent two years arguing about what went wrong in 2024. Now they have a chance to regain power. But winning elections is one thing. Actually delivering on promises is another. Don't F#*k It Up, Democrats is a new series from The Lever hosted by David Sirota, creator of the award-winning Master Plan podcast. Through conversations with politicians, economists, activists, and former White House officials, the series explores the big choices facing Democrats: How do they fight corruption and billionaire influence? Make life more affordable? Fix a broken health care system? And win back working-class voters who have heard promises of change before? Don't F**k It Up, Democrats. More at https://levernews.com/DFIUD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Inside Story Of Citizens United (ENCORE)

1 hr 3 min

You’ve probably heard of Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that helped unleash billionaire money into American elections. But few know the inside story of how a network of conservative lawyers and activists carefully orchestrated the case. With the 2026 midterms just days away, we're revisiting Episode 9, “Going Big,” from Season 1 of Master Plan: Legalizing Corruption. We travel to Indiana to meet  James Bopp Jr., the conservative lawyer who helped engineer the Citizens United case, and uncover how it evolved from a decades-long campaign to dismantle America's campaign finance laws — and how one particular Supreme Court justice pushed its impact far beyond what anyone anticipated. Read the transcript and explore original archival documents from our investigation. Want the full story? Get the book Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America, featuring additional reporting and material beyond the podcast. Lever subscribers save 20%, and new paid members receive a special offer. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How The Powell Memo Changed America (ENCORE)

59 min

With the 2026 midterms approaching and billions of dollars flooding into American elections, we're revisiting one of our most popular episodes of Master Plan. In 1971, corporate lawyer Lewis Powell wrote a manifesto explaining how corporations and oligarchs could fight back against New Deal-era reforms and use their money to hijack American politics. For decades, the Powell Memo seemed like an urban legend — until our investigation uncovered new details about the people behind it, and how the memo’s author snuck his radical ideology into the Supreme Court. Read the transcript and explore original archival documents from our investigation. Want the full story? Get the book Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America, featuring additional reporting and material beyond the podcast. Lever subscribers save 20%, and new paid members receive a special offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing “The Future of Our Former Democracy: Season 3”

36 min

Today, we are sharing the Season 3 premiere of The Future of Our Former Democracy, the Signal Award-winning podcast from More Equitable Democracy and Mori Strategies. The Future of Our Former Democracy has spent two seasons exploring what the U.S. can learn from democracies around the world, most recently Germany and then Ireland. This season, host Colin Cole, Director of Policy, Outreach, and Communications at More Equitable Democracy, is joined by new co-host Ruth Greenwood, Director of Harvard Law School’s Election Law Clinic and proud Australian expat, as the show heads to the other side of the world.  Australia built its democracy using America’s blueprint, then kept innovating. Today, its elections are famously “boring, boring, boring,” and voters across the political spectrum trust the results in a way Americans rarely do. With the 2026 midterms approaching and confidence in American democracy continuing to erode, Colin and Ruth explore why, with help from Dr. Marija Taflaga (Australian National University), Professor David Smith (University of Sydney), and Professor Thalia Anthony (University of Technology Sydney). Along the way, they ask a provocative question: if Australia learned from the United States, what can the United States learn from Australia? Follow and listen to more episodes of The Future of Our Former Democracy here: https://play.megaphone.fm/lmfwb0zrqham8b4xmpo43q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Inheritance

57 min

In the season finale of Master Plan: The Kingmakers, we ask Democratic leaders what the next U.S. president should do with the expanded executive powers that Trump will leave behind.  Featuring exclusive interviews with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y), Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I), Sen. Michael Bennet (Co.), and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus archival documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The King’s Man

1 hr 3 min

A little-known conservative operative spends years figuring out how to bend the machinery of government to a president's will. By the time Donald Trump returns for his second term, a shadow government is ready to seize control. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore archival sources related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Obama’s Kill List

1 hr 15 min

Obama vowed to restore the rule of law after the War on Terror. But behind closed doors, his administration created a secret system that allowed the president to decide who lived and who died. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus archival documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade Want the Master Plan book? Members save 20%, and new Lever Leaders can get a free signed copy while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State of Emergency

1 hr 4 min

September 11, 2001 brought chaos and terror to the United States. It also brought an unprecedented opportunity. After decades of watching what he felt was the erosion of presidential power, Vice President Dick Cheney leveraged a national emergency to shift the balance of power toward the executive branch. We trace Cheney's evolution — from Gerald Ford's chief of staff to George W. Bush's right-hand man — and how his "monarchical" view of the president laid the groundwork for Donald Trump. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus archival documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Return of the Kingmakers

2 min

Every crisis creates an opportunity. The final chapters of The Kingmakers reveal the plot to build an all-powerful presidency — and put it in the hands of a man who wants to be king. Watch the full video trailer on YouTube: [link].  Catch up on Episodes 1-4 now. New episodes begin dropping to our premium subscribers in early August. Become a paid member today with this special discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS: The Untouched Power That Could Stop Trump's Iran War

52 min

As Trump’s war in Iran approached a critical 60-day deadline, we took a deep dive into the War Powers Resolution, the Nixon-era law designed to limit presidential war-making. But Congress had a little-known weapon to end the war — or any unauthorized war — whenever it wanted. So why had it never used it? In this special bonus episode of The Kingmakers, David Sirota tells the wild story of how a Kenyan-born immigrant and a Ralph Nader-aligned lawyer unwittingly expanded presidential power — and left Congress believing it was powerless to stop unauthorized wars. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes like this, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade Want the Master Plan book? ⁠Members save 20%⁠, and new Lever Leaders can ⁠get a free signed copy⁠ while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Meese Doctrine

51 min

Rather than retreat from Iran-Contra and other scandals, conservative operatives inside the White House — led by Attorney General Edwin Meese — went on the offensive. Drawing on newly uncovered documents and exclusive interviews, we trace how Meese helped turn a fringe idea into doctrine: that all executive power belongs to the president alone. This is the origin story of the unitary executive theory. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus archival documents related to Episode 4. 🎧 BONUS: Listen to the full Ed Meese interview here. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade Want the Master Plan book? Members save 20%, and new Lever Leaders can get a free signed copy while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Rambo

40 min

Emboldened by a landslide election, the president’s men began to see themselves as 1980s action-movie heroes, willing to break the law to get what they want. The result was the Iran-Contra affair, a secret arms deal that ignited a constitutional crisis. Would Congress roll over and play dead — or actually do something? TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus archival documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade. Want the Master Plan book? Members save 20%, and new Lever Leaders can get a free signed copy while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mandate for Power

51 min

How did Project 2025 take control of the White House? It all began decades ago, when a beer-baron-backed think tank handed President Ronald Reagan an 1,100-page instruction manual for expanding presidential power. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus historical documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit levernews.com/upgrade . Want the Master Plan book? Members save 20%, and new Lever Leaders can get a free signed copy while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After The Fall

43 min

Before Trump, there was Nixon. His attempts to seize the power of the purse and secretly expand the Vietnam War forged a constitutional crisis, a backlash, and a template for an imperial presidency. TRANSCRIPT & BONUS MATERIALS: Click here to read a transcript and to explore bonus historical documents related to the episode. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com. Want the Master Plan book? Members save 20%, and new Lever Leaders can get a free signed copy while supplies last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Trailer: The Kingmakers

5 min

A new season of Master Plan debuts on March 16. For early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, click here to upgrade to a paid subscription to The Lever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Master Plan Book Is Here (With Trailer)

7 min

We’ve got big news — Master Plan is now a book! Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America, co-authored by David Sirota and Jared Jacang Maher, is now available from all major booksellers. The 265-page book expands on the award-winning podcast with exclusive archival documents, new reporting, and never-before-seen photos. It tells the story of how corporate interests and political operatives spent decades reshaping American democracy — from Lewis Powell’s secret memo to Citizens United and the rise of dark money. In this short update, Jared shares why we turned the series into a book and what readers can expect — followed by the official Book trailer for Master Plan. (Watch on YouTube.) Get your copy: levernews.com/book — paid subscribers get a discount. Leave a quick review on Amazon or Goodreads to help others discover the project. Ask your local bookstore or library to order Master Plan. Share about the book: Bluesky Twitter/X Threads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)

55 min

In a special Master Plan bonus episode, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins David Sirota to break down the impact of the Supreme Court’s’ 2010 Citizens United ruling on 2024's super PAC spending spree. The two dig into billionaires like Elon Musk openly backing candidates and the hidden power of dark money, and discuss current reforms efforts to bring transparency back to democracy. Plus, the Master Plan team answers audience questions. Binge the entire season of the award-winning Master Plan now. Paid subscribers enjoy ad-free episodes, score exclusive bonus content, and help support the show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hell Or High Water

1 hr 8 min

We all live in the master planners’ world now, immersed in an ocean of corruption. The 2024 Republican presidential campaign is bankrolled by billionaires, while corporate interests’ power was in full display at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. What will it take to reclaim our democracy? Is there any hope of reversing the master plan?  Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, ⁠exclusive content⁠, and support this show. Visit ⁠masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Heist

1 hr 8 min

Unleashed by the Citizens United ruling, the master planners launch a three-part heist to crack the vault protecting democracy itself. First, the schemers take out the security cameras monitoring dark money. Then, they disarm the last campaign finance cops on the beat. Finally, they pull off a getaway so prosecutors can’t charge them as they run off with the loot.  Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going Big

1 hr 4 min

An anti-abortion legal activist starts using the federal courts to chip away at campaign finance restrictions, setting his sights on the Supreme Court. Indiana lawyer James Bopp Jr. engineers the Citizens United case and hand-tailors it for Justice Anthony Kennedy’s storied swing vote — setting him up for an explosive 5-4 ruling that would devastate campaign finance law. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shock and Awe

53 min

As President George W. Bush declares “Mission Accomplished” in the Iraq War, his administration wages a different war with swing-state senators defying his judicial nominees. Operatives like Leonard Leo and Brett Kavanaugh seize the moment to try to dramatically shift the balance of the Supreme Court. But when Bush goes off script and nominates a trusted legal aide for a Supreme Court vacancy, the conservative legal movement launches an insurgency. This is part two of our story about the creation of the Roberts Court. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rise of the Machine

58 min

After a series of setbacks in the push to legalize corruption, the master planners know they must take over the U.S. Supreme Court and halt the trend of Republican-appointed justices siding with campaign finance reformers. So in the early 2000s, they deploy their new judicial machine in an epic battle to try to permanently change the courts from the bottom up. This is part one of a two-part story about how the Roberts Court was built. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Maverick

1 hr 2 min

When five U.S. senators get caught pressuring a regulator on behalf of a financial magnate, they become known as the “Keating Five.” The public is predictably outraged. But what no one expects is that one of those senators will learn from his mistakes and become the staunchest campaign finance reformer in decades.  Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporations Are People, My Friend

53 min

You might remember Mitt Romney’s infamous line: “Corporations are people, my friend.” But where did this idea come from? In this episode: how the Ford Administration and the Powell Memo movement turned to the Supreme Court to establish the precedent that legalized corruption: money is speech, and corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights.  Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, score exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Secret Task Force

51 min

How did corporate executives and politicians turn Lewis Powell’s memo from a blueprint into a master plan — and begin executing it? In this episode, we uncover proof of a secret “Powell Memo Task Force,” as well as clandestine meetings involving America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant. The results would change history. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Powell Memo

56 min

A seemingly moderate corporate lawyer grows alarmed by anti-corruption reformers’ policy wins and writes a manifesto detailing how corporations and oligarchs can dominate American politics. Months later, he’s confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by senators unaware that his manifesto is going viral among the business elite.    View related materials here. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Other Watergate

47 min

There’s a lost tale behind Watergate: corporate bagmen, suitcases of illegal cash, and Nixon circumventing the very campaign finance rules he’d just signed into law. Amid the blowback, Nixon leaves a ticking time bomb in the heart of Washington. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Milk Money

36 min

Ever wonder how America became so corrupt? It didn’t have to be this way. Our series begins in 1971, a time when hot pants were hot, bell bottoms were swinging, and campaign cash flowed like… milk.  Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trailer — Legalizing Corruption

5 min

A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth. The first season of Master Plan, a new podcast from The Lever is avalable now wherever you get your podcasts. Listen early and ad-free at masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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