Master Plan
The Lever & David Sirota
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Master Plan is an award-winning investigative podcast series from The Lever, narrated by David Sirota. It reveals how small groups of powerful people engineer society's biggest problems to serve their own interests. The show has won multiple awards including the National Press Club Award for Audio Journalism and the New York Festivals Radio Award for Best Investigative Journalism Podcast.
Episodes
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Introducing ‘The Political Scene’ from The New Yorker 14.07.2026 40mThis week, we're sharing an episode from The New Yorker's The Political Scene examining the political forces reshaping America's intelligence community. The Washington Roundtable is joined by veteran political reporter and Spytalk founding editor Jeff Stein to discuss Donald Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence, despite his lack of intelligence or national security experience. They also unpack new reporting on former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the questions surrounding her alleged ties to a controversial religious group. If you enjoy Master Plan's investigations into power, politics, and the people shaping American democracy, we think you'll enjoy this conversation from The Political Scene. Find and subscribe to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Introducing: First America 02.07.2026 41mToday, we are sharing the debut episode of First America, the brand-new history podcast from Critical Frequency and Pushkin Industries. Hosted by award-winning journalist Rebecca Nagle and featuring leading Native historians, First America unveils how the founders’ treatment of Indigenous nations – and their resistance – shaped U.S. democracy. The show does not simply add another blemish to the image of the founding fathers, it reveals the real story of why the colonists rebelled, what kind of government they created, and, crucially, how our current political moment was 250 years in the making. In this premiere episode, Rebecca sits down with Ned Blackhawk, who is Western Shoshone and a leading scholar of Indigenous history. They explore why the drive to seize Indigenous land – not taxation without representation – fueled the American Revolution. To listen to the rest of the series, follow First America on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Introducing Scene on Radio’s The News 09.06.2026 46mThe Master Plan team is hard at work on the next batch of Season 2 episodes. In the meantime, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Scene on Radio. Their new season, The News, explores the crisis facing American journalism: collapsing local newsrooms, declining public trust, and a media ecosystem flooded with misinformation. In this first episode, the two-time Peabody Award-nominated series asks a simple but urgent question: What’s really wrong with the news? To hear the rest of the series, search for Scene on Radio wherever you get your podcasts or visit sceneonradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
BONUS: The Untouched Power That Could Stop The Iran War 30.04.2026 52mThis week, the Iran War will reach its official 60-day mark. That’s a critical deadline under the War Powers Resolution, a Nixon-era law created to limit presidential war-making. Under that law, President Donald Trump can claim a one-time, 30-day extension, so the Iran War will likely continue. But the War Powers Resolution also gives Congress a secret weapon to end this unpopular war — or any war — whenever it wants. So why has Congress never used it? In this special episode, David Sirota tells the wild story of how a Kenyan-born immigrant and a Ralph Nader-aligned lawyer unwittingly expanded the powers of the president — and left Congress believing that it’s powerless to stop unauthorized wars. Note: This bonus episode marks the start of our midseason intermission for Master Plan: The Kingmakers. We’ll be back this summer with the remaining four episodes. Until then, please become a paid subscriber to keep receiving bonus episodes, updates, and more. Visit levernews.com/upgrade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Episode 4: The Meese Doctrine | The Kingmakers 28.04.2026 51mRather 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 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 -
Episode 3: President Rambo | The Kingmakers 14.04.2026 40mEmboldened 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. 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 -
Episode 2: Mandate for Power | The Kingmakers 30.03.2026 51mHow 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. The next episode is available now for premium subscribers. Click here. 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 . 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 -
Episode 1: After The Fall | The Kingmakers 16.03.2026 43mBefore 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. 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 -
Season 2 Trailer: The Kingmakers 02.03.2026 5mA 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 17.10.2025 7mWe’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 -
S1 BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse) 04.11.2024 55mIn 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 -
S1 E11: Hell Or High Water | Legalizing Corruption 29.10.2024 1h 8mWe 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 -
S1 E10: The Heist | Legalizing Corruption 22.10.2024 1h 8mUnleashed 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 -
S1 E9: Going Big | Legalizing Corruption 15.10.2024 1h 4mAn 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 -
S1 E8: Shock and Awe | Legalizing Corruption 08.10.2024 53mAs 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 -
S1 E7: Rise of the Machine | Legalizing Corruption 01.10.2024 58mAfter 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 -
S1 E6: The Maverick | Legalizing Corruption 24.09.2024 1h 2mWhen 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 -
S1 E5: Corporations Are People | Legalizing Corruption 17.09.2024 53mYou 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 -
S1 E4: The Secret Task Force | Legalizing Corruption 10.09.2024 51mHow 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 -
S1 E3: The Powell Memo | Legalizing Corruption 03.09.2024 56mA 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
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