NPR Politics Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Why Bipartisanship is Disappearing from Congress
Date: February 26, 2026
Hosts: Miles Parks, Sam Greenglass, Ashley Lopez

Overview

This episode dives into the decline of bipartisanship in Congress, focusing on how redistricting and the growing influence of primary elections have reshaped the incentives for lawmakers. The hosts discuss the effects of partisan gerrymandering, the rise of ideologically extreme representatives, and the ways these trends disenfranchise voters and undercut problem-solving in government. They also profile Senator Katie Britt as a rare example of a lawmaker still striving for cross-party compromise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Redistricting Arms Race and Its Effects

[00:29 – 03:38]

• Redistricting has intensified partisanship.
  Ashley Lopez explains how former President Trump’s push in Texas triggered a wave of partisan redrawing in both red and blue states, leading to far fewer competitive congressional districts.

  “You have fewer competitive seats now, meaning there are more seats that will pretty much be settled by primary elections and not...general elections...drawn to quite explicitly favor one party over the other.” – Ashley Lopez (00:46)

• Voter Impact & Consequences:
  In less competitive districts, parties essentially choose representatives in primaries, disenfranchising independent and minority-party voters.

  “If you’re like a blue voter in one of those red districts...there’s no real person on your side who has any sort of fighting chance to represent you.” – Ashley Lopez (01:40)

• Lawmakers’ Incentives Shift:
  With districts “safe” for one party, representatives primarily answer to primary voters—often more ideologically extreme—leading to gridlock and less compromise.

2. The “Primary Problem”: Disproportionate Power of a Few

[03:11 – 06:23]

• Startling Statistics:

  “Just 7% of voters elected essentially 87% of U.S. House races...Out of 435 races, only 19 are actual tossups.” – Ashley Lopez (03:38)

• Trend Over Time:
  The number of competitive seats has steeply declined from 48 in Trump’s first term to 19 this cycle.

• Consequences for Democracy:
  Small, unrepresentative groups wield vast influence, undermining broader public input and accountability.

3. Real-World Example: Atlanta’s Suburbs

[04:48 – 05:46]

-Gerrymandering in Action:
Sam Greenglass recounts how two once-competitive Atlanta suburban districts, after Republican-led redistricting, became one “safe” red seat and one “safe” blue seat, reducing real voter choice and incentives for moderation.

• Demographic Disconnect:

  “Primary voters...tend to be older, whiter, more affluent and more partisan...lawmakers are thinking about that group...more than...low propensity voters.” – Ashley Lopez (05:46)

4. Why Isn’t This a Bigger Political Issue?

[06:23 – 09:33]

• Electoral Reform is Hard:
  Resistance comes from both political parties—who benefit from safe districts—and voter confusion or suspicion about changing electoral rules.

• Independent Redistricting Attempts:
  While some commissions have aimed to pull map drawing away from parties, such reforms have produced mixed results and often failed to pass at the ballot box.

• Growing Public Awareness:
  Despite these challenges, recent high-profile redistricting battles have drawn more voters’ attention than in the past.

• Expert Perspectives:
  Nick Troiano (Unite America):

  “We are about to have the least accountable Congress of our lifetime...voters will just have less influence in what their lawmakers are doing now.” – Ashley Lopez quoting Troiano (09:00)

5. Bipartisanship in Practice: Senator Katie Britt’s Example

[11:25 – 15:13]

• Katie Britt’s Surprising Profile:
  Sam Greenglass profiles Senator Britt, who is breaking the mold by seeking bipartisan deals—contrary to her viral, hyper-partisan image during the GOP SOTU rebuttal (parodied on SNL).

• Personal Motivation for Compromise:

  “Anybody can go sit in a corner. Two year olds do it best. And we have a lot of people that are taking their ball and sitting in the corner. I just think that it’s too critical of a moment in our country’s history to do that.” – Katie Britt (13:14, paraphrased by Ashley Lopez)

• Old-School Senate:
  Britt’s approach is shaped by working for former Senator Richard Shelby, known for fostering cross-party relationships and pragmatic dealmaking.

  • Steve Flowers (Alabama political columnist): “Shelby was a facilitator and that’s the kind of senator Britt wants to be.” (14:23)
  • “Next one...will be a Fox News chasing...right wing fire eater” vs. Britt’s ‘bring home the bacon, get things done’ style.

• Obstacles:
  Today’s Senate is harder for “facilitators” due to media scrutiny, party loyalty policing, and the ever-present threat of primary challenges for “disloyalty”—especially on divisive issues like immigration.

6. The Persistence of the Primary Threat, Even in the Senate

[15:13 – 18:15]

• Primary Risk Across Congress:
  Began as a US House phenomenon but increasingly shapes the Senate. Despite statewide races requiring more moderate appeals in November, senators fear being “outflanked” in primaries.

• Current Cases:

  • Senator John Cornyn faces a credible primary challenge from Ken Paxton running further to his right, showing vulnerability even for senior incumbents.

    “These are different political times...a good example...in Louisiana, Republicans changed primary rules to more effectively out primary...Bill Cassidy.” – Ashley Lopez (17:20)

• Will It Shift after Primaries?
  Sam Greenglass is watching to see if, once past primary season, more lawmakers return to compromise as a political survival strategy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gerrymandering’s impact:
  “Who has power in Congress is ultimately decided by a very small, small number of seats. That kind of decline...is pretty meaningful.” – Ashley Lopez (03:38)

• On primary voters vs. general electorate:
  “Primary voters...don’t look like the broader electorate...they tend to be older, whiter, more affluent and more partisan.” – Ashley Lopez (05:46)

• On systemic inertia:
  “Parties don’t want this to change. They like that they have a lot of power here...it is really hard to get parties to relinquish that power in any meaningful way.” – Ashley Lopez (06:45)

• On the cost of partisan maps:
  “The real loser here are voters in those congressional districts.” – Ashley Lopez (09:00)

• Britt on bipartisanship:
  “Anybody can go sit in a corner. Two year olds do it best. And we have a lot of people that are taking their ball and sitting in the corner.” – Ashley Lopez channeling Katie Britt (13:14)

• Flowers on Senator Britt’s style:
  “Shelby was a facilitator and that’s the kind of senator Britt wants to be.” – Steve Flowers (14:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:29 – 03:38: Redistricting’s impact on competitiveness and partisanship
• 03:38 – 06:23: The disproportionate influence of primary voters (“primary problem”)
• 06:23 – 09:33: Challenges to electoral reform and consequences for voters
• 11:25 – 15:13: Senator Katie Britt’s bipartisanship and its rarity
• 15:13 – 18:15: The continuing power of primaries, even for US Senators

Tone and Approach

The conversation is frank, analytical, and sometimes exasperated at the systemic issues stifling moderation and negotiation. The hosts regularly return to the underlying structures—redistricting and primaries—that shape current congressional behavior, emphasizing how most voters are sidelined from meaningful political influence.

Conclusion

This episode presents a sobering exploration of the institutional and electoral forces that have hollowed out bipartisanship in Congress. Through data, local reporting, and personal political profiles, the hosts reveal how safe seats and primary challenges dominate the incentives for lawmakers, leaving broad swathes of voters with little real voice. The rare efforts at compromise, like those by Senator Katie Britt, face long odds but offer glimmers of possibility in an otherwise polarized system.