Tune in for a big announcement and a promo for the next episode, which will drop next week!

This is Episode 14: "Getting What You Paid For: The Murky World of Campaign Finance". While elections are a vital part of our history and democracy, campaign finance has become a source of debate and controversy. Where does the money donated go? Who regulates it, and who spends it? Where is it coming from in the first place, and how much of this are we allowed to know about, anyway? We'd like to thank our amazing sponsors: Deep Dish Podcast, which you can subscribe to here: https://www.thechicagocouncil.org/deep-dish-podcast and Ecosia, which you can visit at https://www.ecosia.org/. You can also find out more about what Ecosia does at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MMUghib3qE and at https://info.ecosia.org/project/#projects. For this episode, we featured footage and sound courtesy of the New York Times, CSPAN, and The Heritage Foundation. You can also visit our website for more details about this and other TPS episodes, announcements, and bonus information referenced in this episode: https://www.thepolicyscout.com/, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (both @thepolicyscout). You can donate to TPS on Paypal or Patreon, just following the links on the TPS website. We would also like to send a very big thanks to Resonate Recordings for editing this episode. You can read more about their services at www.resonaterecordings.com. 

This is the promo for our next episode - and boy, is it going to be a good one! The Policy Scout Shorts: Five Fast Facts is available a week before each new episode. These quick policy briefers provide the upcoming episode topic title, as well as five fast facts about the upcoming topic to spark interest and thought. If you want to know what topic The Policy Scout will cover next in a full-length episode, this is the only way to find out! Join us on Monday, February 5, 2018 for Episode 13, and have a great week in the meantime. 

This is Episode 13: "What is Your College Education Really Worth?". We ask many questions that need to be asked - what does "education" mean? Is a degree measured in dollars, or is it measured in something more? Is the financial risk of a college education worth it? Can someone be as successful without a degree? We'd like to thank author and entrepreneur Zak Slayback for his incredible insights and for helping us wade through these deeper issues. You can also visit for more details about this and other TPS episodes, announcements, bonus information, resources, and links to interesting websites and articles referenced in this episode: https://www.thepolicyscout.com/, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (both @thepolicyscout). You can donate to TPS on Paypal or Patreon, just following the links on the TPS website. We would also like to send a very big thanks to Resonate Recordings for editing this episode. You can read more about their services at www.resonaterecordings.com. 

We are back to Monday releases, starting with the next episode! The Policy Scout Shorts: Five Fast Facts is available a week before each new episode. These quick policy briefers provide the upcoming episode topic title, as well as five fast facts about the upcoming topic to spark interest and thought. If you want to know what topic The Policy Scout will cover next in a full-length, biweekly episode, this is the only way to find out! Join us on Monday, January 8, 2018 for Episode 13, and have a great week in the meantime. 

This is Part Two of "Decoding North Korea", a two-part topic. Part One set up many of the policy issues we address here, Part Two delves into some looming questions regarding North Korea, its leader, and the threat of a nuclear attack. Thanks to Dr. Marco Milani of the USC Korean Studies Institute for answering our (many) questions. You can also visit for more details about this and other TPS episodes, announcements, bonus information, resources, and links to interesting websites and articles referenced in this episode: https://www.thepolicyscout.com/, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (both @thepolicyscout). You can donate to TPS on Paypal or Patreon, just following the links on the TPS website. We would also like to send a very big thanks to Resonate Recordings for editing this episode. You can read more about their services at www.resonaterecordings.com. 

The Policy Scout Shorts: Five Fast Facts is available a week before each new episode. These quick policy briefers provide the upcoming episode topic title, as well as five fast facts about the upcoming topic to spark interest and thought. If you want to know what topic The Policy Scout will cover next in a full-length, biweekly episode, this is the only way to find out! Join us on November 10, 2017 for Episode 12, and have a great week in the meantime. 

This is Part One of a two-part episode. Here, we will set up some of the bigger policy issues surrounding North Korea. Many questions loom regarding this isolated nation, its mysterious people, and its young dictator who seems hell-bent on destroying perceived enemies around the world. Part Two, which will be available on November 10, will feature interviews with North Korean policy experts and will address some of the bigger, tougher questions we set up in this first portion. You can also visit for more details about this and other TPS episodes, announcements, bonus information, resources, and links to interesting websites and articles referenced in this episode: https://www.thepolicyscout.com/, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (both @thepolicyscout). You can donate to TPS on Paypal or Patreon, just following the links on the TPS website. We would also like to send a very big thanks to Resonate Recordings for editing this episode. You can read more about their services at www.resonaterecordings.com. 

The Policy Scout Shorts: Five Fast Facts is available a week before each new episode. These quick policy briefers provide the upcoming episode topic title, as well as five fast facts about the upcoming topic to spark interest and thought. If you want to know what topic The Policy Scout will cover next in a full-length, biweekly episode, this is the only way to find out! Join us on October 27, 2017 for Episode 11, and have a great week in the meantime. 

Episodes will now be released on Fridays (instead of Mondays)! Next Five Fast Facts will be released on 10/20, and Episode 11 will be released on 10/27. Tune in!