Landslide

Politics is the human story behind the headlines: our hopes, disagreements, choices and visions for what comes next. This fall, the American Storytelling Collection brings together six podcasts from the NPR Network that take a closer look at the people, power, conflicts and turning points behind American politics from every angle. Find the collection by searching 'American Storytelling' in Apple Podcasts or the NPR app.

Nancy Pelosi never intended to run for office — but in 1987, a twist of fate thrust her into San Francisco’s political arena. In Congress, she seized power and became one of the most polarizing, effective and iconic figures in political history. 

From our friends at KQED: “The Speaker” is a new limited-run podcast series that builds on exclusive access to Pelosi, reflecting on her historic life and career as she exits public office. In “The Speaker,” KQED political correspondent Scott Shafer traces her rise from local volunteer to national power broker, making allies and enemies along the way — including President Donald Trump. But with faith in U.S. political institutions cratering, what can her story tell us about where the country has been, and where it’s going?

Historically, societies fall. Civilizations collapse. But is that what’s happening now in the United States? With the help of historians, a former CIA-funded researcher on political instability, and one grumbling dad, Ben Bradford looks at the warning signs that can precede collapse — from polarization and political division to outside shocks and cascading crises. How much of that is visible in America right now? What would collapse actually look like in modern life? And if the alarms are blinking, is there still time to turn back?
Listen to more of the new series from the creator of Landslide!

What does it mean to be an American? There’s no one way. At NPR, we think of the American identity as a story - one that's always being rewritten by the people who live it. The American Storytelling collection gathers stories from local stations across the NPR Network - from small town struggles, to natural phenomena, to the intricate histories that build the constantly-evolving tale of our nation. These are our biggest little-known shows. Find them in the American Storytelling channel on Apple Podcasts or on the NPR App.

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How does the internet work to polarize us on an individual level?

As tech and media companies, battle for online engagement, they feed their users — they feed us — content that will grab attention, elicit emotion, and confirm existing beliefs. In a way, it traps everyone in their own bespoke bubble, often without our realizing it.

After previous episodes analyzed the right-wing media ecosystem, Landslide: Engines of Outrage now turns to look outside of it, offering tools for all of us to diagnose our own information diets and fight back against the incentives of an internet built to polarize.

Created and hosted by Ben Bradford.

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