Unlocked: How Government Works – Details, episodes & analysis

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick joins host Nancy Gibbs for a deep dive on the National Guard—covering everything from how and when they can be deployed to who holds command and who foots the bill. Drawing from his own experiences calling up the Guard during the Boston Marathon Bombing, Governor Patrick explains the chain of authority and the complex decision-making and coordination involved between state and federal authorities.

Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler sits down with Nancy Gibbs to discuss how the Federal Communications Commission has historically regulated what Americans see and hear. Wheeler explains how longstanding norms are being tested by the current administration and why it's more important than ever for journalists and the public to understand both the legal limits of the agency's powers and the civil liberties those limits were designed to protect.

Welcome to Unlocked, an explanatory podcast to help people reporting on the news decipher how the U.S. government works, and what exactly is going on today. Hosted by Nancy Gibbs, from the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

What is a class action lawsuit, and what role might this type of litigation play in the shaping of US law and policy? On this episode of Unlocked, Harvard Law Professor William Rubenstein joins host Nancy Gibbs to discuss how these cases work, the types of issues they address, and what questions reporters should be asking when covering class action lawsuits.

On this episode of Unlocked, Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, about how vaccines get from the research lab to the doctor's office and the federal policies and practices that guide immunization in the United States. Dr. Offit explains the rigorous process behind vaccine approval, the role of advisory committees, and how safety is monitored over time. 

On this episode of Unlocked, host Nancy Gibbs talks with Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security under President Obama, about the legal complexities surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States. From detention and deportation procedures to what happens at the border, Kayyem breaks down the rights afforded to citizens and non-citizens alike and the limits of government power.

On this episode of "Unlocked," host Nancy Gibbs taps Syracuse University professor and leading immigration policy expert Austin Kocher to help break down the complex world of immigration enforcement in the United States, and untangle the roles of agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homeland Security. They discuss the challenges journalists face on the immigration beat, and the importance of verifying data and centering immigrants' real stories when reporting on this issue.

Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Karen Dynan, Professor of the Practice in the Harvard University Department of Economics and at the Harvard Kennedy School, about the federal debt—who the U.S. owes money to, why it matters, and what the implications of rising debt are for state and local governments and the lives of everyday Americans.

On this episode of Unlocked, Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Justin Mankin, associate professor of geography and earth sciences at Dartmouth College, about the impacts of government-collected climate data. They discuss the history and vital importance of publicly funded data collection, the growing risk of privatization, and what it means for access to life-saving information in the face of climate change. Tune in to learn why the future of weather and climate data affects everyone—and who could be left behind if access is restricted.

What do Inspectors General actually do, and why has their role become a battleground in recent years? On this episode of Unlocked, Michael Missal—former Inspector General of the US Department of Veterans Affairs—joins host Nancy Gibbs to break down the vital work of IGs in safeguarding federal agencies from waste, fraud, and abuse. Together, they explore the unique independence of IGs, the importance of transparency, and what happens when oversight is threatened by political interference.

Missal shares firsthand stories from his tenure serving under multiple presidential administrations—detailing how investigations are handled, and explaining the legal requirements for the removal of IGs. With a recent wave of firings and mounting pressure on independent oversight bodies like the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office, this episode examines the essential work of these government watchdogs.