Episodes 157
Avg. Duration 52m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.8 (2,559)
Since Aug 2022
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Open to Sponsors

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
78%
Hosting
audioboom.com

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About This Podcast

Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say. https://www.thebulwark.com/podcast/focus-group/

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Recent Episodes

S6E44 S6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone Is on the Take

Jun 06, 2026 41m

Summer’s here, and Sarah’s taking a break from primary election coverage to take stock of the national political landscape. We haven’t talked to swing voters in a little while about the overall state…

S6E43 S6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id

May 30, 2026 1h 7m

Everyone loves to complain about how California is governed...even some of the Democrats in our focus groups. So, how is the Democratic primary to replace Gavin Newsom shaping up? Plus, a proto-Trump…

S6E42 S6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please

May 23, 2026 1h 11m

Sarah is sick and tired of the arguments about whether Democrats should move to the left or the center, because Democratic voters’ answers to this question overlap a lot more than the online turf…

S6E41 S6 Ep41: Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary

May 16, 2026 53m

Georgia's primaries for Governor and U.S. Senate have LOTS of things for political nerds (like you, dear listener) to chew on. But the Republican and Democratic voters we talked to felt pretty sick…

S6E40 S6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?

May 09, 2026 53m

This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy is running for re-election to the Senate, and trying to pass himself as a MAGA true…

S6E39 S6 Ep39: Chuck Schumer’s Candidate Got Humiliated in Maine

May 06, 2026 12m

In this bite-sized bonus Focus Group episode, Sarah Longwell breaks down the political earthquake in Maine after Janet Mills dropped out of the Senate race. Why are Democratic voters rejecting…

S6E38 S6 Ep38: America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)

May 02, 2026 48m

Usually, an assassination attempt outside a dinner with the president would be a HUGE news event. Instead, the voters in our focus groups weren't talking much about it, and when we brought it up, we…

S6E37 S6 Ep37: Trump Promised Lower Prices. Everything Got Worse! (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)

Apr 30, 2026 45m

Enjoy a bonus episode of The Focus Group Podcast—Rachel Janfaza talks with Rotimi Adeoye about why moderate Gen Z focus group participants feel locked out of the economy. They discuss Rotimi’s “House…

S6E36 S6 Ep36: America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)

Apr 25, 2026 1h 11m

Everyone agrees that America is too divided. But ALMOST everyone is also contributing to that division in one way or another. So, how do we rebuild a country where Americans can live with each other…

S6E35 S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)

Apr 18, 2026 1h 12m

Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what…

S6E34 S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)

Apr 17, 2026 45m

On this bonus episode of The Focus Group, Rachel and guest Sami Sage of Betches Media wonder whether millennials are truly still ‘cringe.’ They also discuss the Gen Z gender gap, and how some…

S6E33 S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)

Apr 11, 2026 51m

EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode has been updated to remove comments made by or about a focus group participant who we believe misrepresented his political viewpoints to gain access to the group. We are…

S6E32 S6 Ep32: It's "Messing With Me Mentally" (with Ashley Parker)

Apr 04, 2026 52m

The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco…

S6E31 S6 Ep31: PSA: AI is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)

Mar 28, 2026 1h

Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too. The Washington Post's Megan…

S6E30 S6 Ep30: ‘All of You Could Be Democrats’ (with Anderson Clayton)

Mar 21, 2026 44m

A lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize…

S6E29 S6 Ep29: Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)

Mar 14, 2026 51m

The Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are…

S6E28 S6 Ep28: BONUS POD: Iran Fears &...Focus Groups Love The Bulwark?

Mar 12, 2026 57m

Sarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their…

S6E27 S6 Ep27: What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)

Mar 07, 2026 58m

Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in…

S6E26 S6 Ep26: Twitter vs. Texans (with Elaine Godfrey)

Feb 28, 2026 50m

The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates.…

S6E25 S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)

Feb 21, 2026 51m

Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Focus Group Podcast have?

The Focus Group Podcast has published 157 episodes since August 2022, covering topics in News, Politics.

Is The Focus Group Podcast still active?

The Focus Group Podcast is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 52m.

How do I contact The Focus Group Podcast for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Focus Group Podcast, including email and social media links.

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