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The Preamble

The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history. An Audacy Podcast.

Growing Hope: What Depression-Era Gardens and Rainn Wilson Teach Us About Hard Times

39 mins; March 30, 2026

America at 250: Staying Hopeful, plus Saying No in a World That Demands Yes

44 mins; March 23, 2026

Welcome to Becoming You with Suzy Welch

2 mins; March 19, 2026

Condoleezza Rice on Democracy, Patriotism, and Why She Still Has Hope

42 mins; March 16, 2026

Learning From Our Differences and the Antidote to Doomscrolling Anxiety

45 mins; March 09, 2026

The Long History of Demonizing Immigrants: From the Great Depression to Today

39 mins; March 02, 2026

Elyse Myers’ New Book and Harriet Tubman’s Faith

40 mins; February 23, 2026

The State of Black History and Journalism in 2026

45 mins; February 16, 2026

If Court Orders Don’t Matter, Nothing Does, Banning Books, and How to Find Hope

38 mins; February 09, 2026

How ICE Is Mimicking 19th Century Slave Patrols, and What AI Tech Billionaires Really Want

45 mins; February 02, 2026

Inside ICE: Recruitment, Congressional Accountability, and Absolute Immunity

49 mins; January 26, 2026

The War on Drugs, and the Truth Behind the Viral Claims of Fraud at Minnesota Daycares

40 mins; January 19, 2026

The Pentagon Papers, Why Nobody Wants Venezuelan Oil, and Answers to Your Questions

50 mins; January 12, 2026

Margaret Taylor, From Army Wife to Reluctant First Lady

32 mins; January 05, 2026

Sarah Polk’s Power Behind the Presidency

33 mins; December 29, 2025

America’s Most Overlooked First Lady, Anna Harrison

33 mins; December 22, 2025

The Chains We Forge In Life, How Religious Is the US, and Hanukkah at the White House

46 mins; December 15, 2025

How Beavers Built America, The 5 Habits of Hope, And Jackie Kennedy’s Christmas Legacy

44 mins; December 08, 2025

America’s Rising Sun Moment, Why You’re More Powerful Than You Think, And Memorable Moments of White House Holidays

45 mins; December 01, 2025

The Most Chaotic Election in American History Was Saved by an Irish Immigrant, and a Conversation with Congressman James Clyburn

45 mins; November 24, 2025

Presenting unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

2 mins; November 19, 2025

How Hard Can It Be, Boys Do It? Plus, Fighting for Equal Rights After the Civil War, and Answers to Your Questions

45 mins; November 17, 2025

A Stranger Saved My Husband’s Life, Why You Think the Way You Do, and Answers to Your Questions

47 mins; November 10, 2025

From the Printing Press to AI, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, and Answering Your Questions

47 mins; November 03, 2025

Government Shutdown, White House Renovations, and Stoic Virtues

41 mins; October 30, 2025

The Preamble Trailer

1 min; October 19, 2025

Hannah Van Buren’s Journey from Dutch Heritage to American History

26 mins; October 13, 2025

The Scandalous Second Marriage of Rachel Jackson

27 mins; October 06, 2025

The Diplomatic Prowess of Louisa Adams

34 mins; September 29, 2025

Presenting: The C-Word

2 mins; September 25, 2025

The Quiet Bravery of Elizabeth Monroe

29 mins; September 22, 2025

Hostess in Chief: Dolley Madison's Impact on American Society

32 mins; September 15, 2025

Martha Jefferson and the Women of Monticello

28 mins; September 08, 2025

Abigail Adams Abroad

30 mins; September 01, 2025

Secrets of the Two Theodosias

30 mins; August 25, 2025

The Life of America’s First Lady Martha Washington

29 mins; August 18, 2025

A Personal History of the 1960s with Doris Kearns Goodwin

42 mins; August 11, 2025

America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar

33 mins; August 04, 2025

Amending the Constitution with Russ Feingold

42 mins; July 28, 2025

The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket with Stephen Vladeck

37 mins; July 21, 2025

Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments with Hadley Vlahos

40 mins; July 14, 2025

Poverty In America with Matthew Desmond

49 mins; July 07, 2025

Modern Democracy with Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky

49 mins; June 30, 2025

The Hate Next Door with Matson and Tawni Browning

46 mins; June 23, 2025

Book Bans and Free Speech with Suzanne Nossel

36 mins; June 16, 2025

Growing Up In Public with Devorah Heitner

47 mins; June 09, 2025

How Animal Senses Reveal Hidden Realms with Ed Yong

39 mins; June 02, 2025

The Extraordinary Women Who Helped Win WWII with Lena Andrews

44 mins; May 26, 2025

The Virtues Behind the American Constitution with Jeffrey Rosen

42 mins; May 19, 2025

Parliamentary America with Max Stearns

44 mins; May 12, 2025

Introducing: What We Spend

11 mins; May 07, 2025

Democracy and America with Heather Cox Richardson

40 mins; May 05, 2025

Navigating Media Bias with Vanessa Otero

38 mins; April 28, 2025

Master Slave Husband Wife with Ilyon Woo

36 mins; April 21, 2025

Punished for Dreaming with Bettina Love

55 mins; April 14, 2025

A Biography of George Washington with Alexis Coe

42 mins; April 07, 2025

Welcome to The Moth: The Rest is History

53 mins; April 03, 2025

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight with Julia Sweig

42 mins; March 31, 2025

Eleanor Roosevelt and WWII

39 mins; March 24, 2025

The Tell with Amy Griffin

47 mins; March 17, 2025

Make Magic with Brad Meltzer

45 mins; March 10, 2025

DEFY with Dr. Sunita Sah

38 mins; March 03, 2025

9066: One Signature Changed It All, Episode 2

39 mins; February 24, 2025

9066: One Signature Changed It All, Episode 1

40 mins; February 17, 2025

9066: One Signature Changed It All Trailer

3 mins; February 10, 2025

What in the World with Leanne Morgan

50 mins; February 03, 2025

The Supreme Court’s Worst Decisions with Sarah Isgur

45 mins; January 27, 2025

Supercommunicators with Charles Duhigg

43 mins; January 20, 2025

Dear Miss Perkins with Rebecca Brenner Graham

37 mins; January 13, 2025

That Librarian with Amanda Jones

41 mins; January 06, 2025

America First with H.W. Brands

40 mins; December 30, 2024

Den of Spies with Craig Unger

36 mins; December 23, 2024

Good Reasonable People with Keith Payne

48 mins; December 16, 2024

Vanishing Treasures with Katherine Rundell

49 mins; December 09, 2024

Good People with Lucia Knell and Gabriel Reilich

46 mins; December 02, 2024

Night Flyer with Tiya Miles

47 mins; November 25, 2024

Hope for Cynics with Jamil Zaki

39 mins; November 18, 2024

On Freedom with Timothy Snyder

44 mins; November 11, 2024

Fair Voting on the Ballot with Deb Otis

39 mins; November 04, 2024

John Lewis a Life with David Greenberg

44 mins; October 28, 2024

Revenge of the Tipping Point with Malcolm Gladwell

39 mins; October 21, 2024

America’s Deadliest Election with Dana Bash

42 mins; October 14, 2024

The Plan with Kendra Adachi

42 mins; October 07, 2024

Behind the Scenes of The Small and the Mighty, Episode 3

33 mins; September 30, 2024

Behind the Scenes of The Small and the Mighty, Episode 2

36 mins; September 23, 2024

Behind the Scenes of The Small and the Mighty, Episode 1

36 mins; September 16, 2024

Disagreeing Better with Utah Governor Spencer Cox

46 mins; September 09, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 9

44 mins; September 02, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 8

40 mins; August 26, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 7

44 mins; August 19, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 6

45 mins; August 12, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 5

41 mins; August 05, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 4

40 mins; July 29, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 3

43 mins; July 22, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 2

43 mins; July 15, 2024

Stalin: Man of Steel, Episode 1

55 mins; July 08, 2024

Democracy in Retrograde with Sami Sage and Emily Amick

37 mins; July 01, 2024

The New Happy with Stephanie Harrison

39 mins; June 24, 2024

In the Shadow of Liberty with Ana Raquel Minian

38 mins; June 17, 2024

Awakening the Spirit of America with Paul Sparrow

40 mins; June 10, 2024

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The Preamble

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