The Lawfare Institute
500 episodes listed below
Lawfare's weekly panel turns Supreme Court rulings and war-powers fights into legal debate.
Rational Security treats foreign policy as a set of hard legal and strategic questions, not a scroll of breaking-news alarms. Its panel moves from Iran, election law, AI contracts, emergency powers, and court procedure into small absurdities around the show.
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Rational Security is a weekly panel show from the Lawfare Institute, hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson. Each episode is built around several distinct topic segments, introduced with an informal, sometimes absurdist cold open (the show runs on recurring joke episode titles) before shifting into detailed legal and policy analysis. Recurring panelists include Lawfare senior editor Molly Roberts, managing editor Tyler McBrien, and contributing editor Renee DiResta, joined at times by outside legal scholars such as University of Virginia law professor Paul Stephen. Discussion topics recur around Supreme Court rulings and executive power, national security law, AI regulation and litigation, U.S.-China technology competition, and the Ukraine-Russia and Iran conflicts. The panel typically works from primary materials, court opinions, statutes, and administration statements rather than secondhand news summary. Episodes also cover congressional procedure, election law, and platform-liability litigation such as suits against Meta. The tone mixes dry, self-deprecating humor with substantive, sometimes technical legal argument, and panelists often disagree with one another on interpretation instead of converging on a single take. Because most panelists are Lawfare staff, the show functions partly as an audio extension of Lawfare's written legal analysis. Episodes run roughly 70-90 minutes and are released weekly, suiting listeners who already follow national security and legal news but want closer, argument-level treatment of specific rulings and policy fights.
Made for: People who already follow U.S. national security, foreign policy, and legal news and want lawyer-level analysis of specific rulings and statutes.
What sets it apart: Produced by Lawfare's own legal staff rather than journalists, it pairs dry in-jokes and joke episode titles with close statutory and constitutional argument.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Rational Security makes legal and geopolitical disputes legible by testing assumptions, tracing institutional constraints and preserving uncertainty where easy answers would mislead.
Rational Security turns consequential policy disputes into open-ended conversations rather than tidy verdicts. Scott R. Anderson and a changing group of guests move between foreign affairs, executive power, election law, national security and the courts, keeping legal…
Scott R. Anderson cross-examines statutes, sanctions, and seltzer so you can distrust the easy headline.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sharp Iran discussion about hedging, mediation, and what Pakistan and China may signal for the wider order.
The "Deeply Iran-ic" Edition turns from the immediate Iran question toward a larger argument about unsettled power arrangements. Scott R. Anderson, with Dan, Natalie, and Tyler, follows the regional fallout into a broader discussion of hedging, mediation, and whether old…
A tight legal-policy conversation on AI, government contracts, and the stakes of calling a major AI provider unpatriotic.
Rational Security turns an AI dispute into a sharper question about liberty, public contracts, and government power. Scott R. Anderson and guests Kate, Kevin, and Anna move from loose Austin banter into whether AI development and use might be framed as a protected professional…
A loose Rational Security roundtable turns a voting bill and DHS funding fight into sharp political context.
Rational Security spends its sharpest stretch on a voting measure President Trump casts as important to the midterms, and the panel is more interested in the machinery than the slogan.
A sharp roundtable on Supreme Court emergency power, executive deference, and the court's less predictable internal fault lines.
Rational Security's "Off the Rails" Edition turns a loose, conversational roundtable into a careful look at how the Supreme Court handles executive power when urgent cases land before it. Scott R.
A technical, useful look at why AI power may depend as much on CUDA and chips as on models and alliances.
Rational Security takes a wonky AI policy question and makes it concrete: should Washington care more about other countries using American models, American chips, or the software stack that comes with them? Scott R.
A sharp Rational Security roundtable on Ukraine leverage, Russia sanctions, and the legal stakes of Caribbean boat strikes.
Rational Security sounds a little looser off camera, but the conversation stays fixed on serious national security problems. The Ukraine section circles a blunt point: sanctions may matter, and security arrangements may matter, but neither means much unless the United States and…
A sharp legal-politics discussion on remedies for executive abuse, tempered by real constitutional skepticism.
Rational Security begins with Scott R. Anderson being dragged, only half-willingly, into video, and the awkwardness works: the show lets skepticism show on its face before turning to the law.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Atlantic staff writers and host Hannah Rosen unpack Trump-era foreign policy, economics, and democracy.
Two hosts and a correspondent unpack one Latin America story a week, from Chile's election to Iran's war.
Andrew Sullivan's one-on-one interviews on pardons, Israel, Christianity, and political journalism.
Ryan Evans interviews defense and intelligence insiders, from Ukraine's front lines to Marine marksmanship doctrine.
Derek Thompson interviews one expert per episode to test big claims against the data.
Iran drives the main exchange.
Breakfast tacos follow the Texasness jokes.
The seltzer bit is pulling its weight.
Ben celebrates his legal victory after having his ankle monitor removed and securing the release of Lord and Lady Laser, while discussing his court appearance and choice of clothing.
Kate discusses a custom trucker hat with a property law pun, leading to a lighthearted conversation about fashion trends, sports references, and Gen Z slang.
The hosts discuss Ben Wittes' elaborate live stream podcast backdrop, including items like a Guy Fawkes picture, cactuses, a Bob Mueller puppet, and a barrister's wig, while joking about its evolution from past criticism.
Rational Security opens with a discussion of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that IEEPA’s “regulation of importation” language does not authorize tariffs, with Paul Stephen, Molly Roberts, and Tyler McBrien examining how that result affects Trump’s trade agenda.
Two hosts discuss their personal introductions to the TV series Twin Peaks, from childhood viewing experiences to rediscovering it as adults.
A humorous conversation about a train ride experience, American history, and a satirical challenge to Vladimir Putin for a fight at the White House.
This episode of Rational Security discusses national security news stories centered around three different warrants, featuring legal experts from the Lawfare team.
The hosts discuss unusual winter weather conditions, comparing experiences with ice and snow in Washington DC and Minnesota while sharing personal anecdotes about navigating the hazardous conditions.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R.
The hosts share humorous anecdotes about parenting, including a shoulder book light and buying a Xenomorph plushie for a child.
The hosts engage in a lighthearted discussion about common names before transitioning into national security topics.
A weekly roundtable discussion on national security and foreign policy matters, with a holiday-themed opening anecdote.
The year ends with housekeeping.
A weekly podcast discussing national security and foreign policy matters, hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R.
Credible leverage is the problem that keeps coming back.
The hosts discuss their Thanksgiving plans and travel experiences, with a mention of a legal hearing in Norfolk.
Video makes skepticism harder to tuck away.
The hosts discuss microphone equipment, share nostalgic stories about early internet experiences, and reflect on generational differences in technology use.
The host and guest discuss the guest's recent reporting trip to Georgia, including a bed bug incident and a stolen bag tracked via AirTag.
The hosts discuss recent travels to Norway and interactions with Norwegian officials who are fans of the show.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters, with hosts and guests analyzing current events.
A weekly roundtable discussion on national security and foreign policy, with a humorous opening about board games and current crises.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters, with a brief ad for Acast and casual banter among hosts.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R.
A weekly discussion on national security and foreign policy, with hosts sharing personal anecdotes related to political history.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters, with this episode featuring banter about CPAC and a comic book convention overlap.
A weekly roundtable discussion on national security and foreign policy news, featuring Lawfare team members.
The hosts discuss recent events including a host's COVID recovery and a symbolic purchase of Canadian hardwood to protest Trump's tariffs.
A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters, hosted by Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R.
The hosts discuss their stress and coping mechanisms on the eve of a new presidential administration, blending personal anecdotes with political commentary.
The hosts share funny parenting stories about their kids picking up bad language habits.