Ken Rudin’s Political Junkie is the essential show for anyone who is curious and passionate about politics … which includes most of us. Each week, veteran political analyst Ken Rudin explores policy debates, campaign strategies and the newsmakers making it happen in Washington and in state capitols across the country. Politicians, journalists and experts of all stripes join Ken to share smart analysis and rich historical context behind the issues shaping our national dialogue today.
Whether you’re a seasoned political junkie or a casual observer of politics, you’ll enjoy hearing informed conversation about national and regional campaigns, deep dives into noteworthy moments in political history, and intriguing tidbits of political trivia. Political Junkie is the show that aims to make politics accessible, engaging, and — dare we say it — fun.
In addition to the weekly program, Political Junkie features include Ken’s blog, along with his classic ScuttleButton puzzles and trivia questions, and highlights from Ken’s campaign button collection. All of the Political Junkie features are highlighted in a weekly email newsletter.
Political Junkie was formerly a weekly segment of NPR’s Talk of the Nation from 2006 until that show’s conclusion in 2013. Ken Rudin’s Political Junkie launched as an independent production in October 2013. The show was distributed nationally to public radio stations by PRX until the radio version of the program was discontinued in 2020.
Political Junkie Team Members
Ken Rudin, Host and Executive Producer (Ken’s bio)
Douglas Bell, Consultant
Special thanks to Political Junkie fan Mikey Casalaina for creating our logo.