Government That Doesn't Suck

It's the same question every election season: can we trust our voting system? To get a straight answer, we talked to someone who spent more than two decades inside the agency that polices money in American politics. We get into what the Federal Election Commission actually does (and what it doesn’t), where the safeguards in our election system come from, and what ordinary voters can do to help protect the process.Ellen Weintraub served as an FEC commissioner and four-time chair from 2002 to 2025. Before joining the FEC, she was Of Counsel to the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie and Counsel to the House Ethics Committee, and she holds degrees from Yale College and Harvard Law School. She now serves on the national governing board of Common Cause. Ellen walks us through the history, the legal ups and downs, and her practical advice for the road ahead: make a plan to vote, vote early, and consider becoming a poll worker.Head over to our Government That Doesn’t Suck YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuckIf you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Government That Doesn’t Suck to never miss an episode! Government That Doesn’t Suck is a Rewind Original Podcast, powered by PAVE StudiosFollow us on SocialInstagram: @RewindStudiosTikTok: @RewindStudiosYouTube: @GovenmentThatDoesntSuck

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 pull three unbelievable true facts every week and tell you the full story behind each one. Nothing is off limits. Myths and monsters. Forgotten scandals. Accidental discoveries. Untold stories behind the songs everyone knows. Disasters that sound made up but absolutely happened. Carter sets the scene and Connor makes you fall in love with history.The wildest stuff is real, and the real stuff is wilder than you think. New episodes every Wednesday.What the Fact with Connor Tomlinson and Carter Roy is a Rewind Original, powered by PAVE Studios.Listen and Follow: https://pod.link/6811124906

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 ubiquitous, Yet, none of this progress would be possible without substantial government assistance.Head over to our Government That Doesn’t Suck YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@GovernmentThatDoesntSuckIf you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Government That Doesn’t Suck to never miss an episode! Government That Doesn’t Suck is a Rewind Original Podcast, powered by PAVE StudiosFollow us on SocialInstagram: @RewindStudiosTikTok: @RewindStudiosYouTube: @GovenmentThatDoesntSuck