Amy couldn’t help herself by faulting Republican governance for failed states but fails to note democratic run NY, California, and Ill to name 3 from the tip of my tongue plus most major Democrat run major cities that need the tax payer bailouts she’s hyping

The podcast’s policy content and guests are fantastic, always well-evidenced and nuanced policy discussions. I find it to be one of the greatest policy podcasts. My big gripe is the show’s audio quality. Crisper microphones or sound-proofing the recording environment would make this podcast much more listenable. For a podcast with an interview-style format that focuses on the content of experts’ studies instead of bombastic personalities or entertainment, sound quality is especially important.

Wonky in the best possible way, really interesting

They only seem to want to talk about race, even when the subject isn’t one involving race.

Love the topics! I've learned so much. though sometimes I wish you talked more about the faults of america. We do so many things wrong, and it's important to confront and discuss that. Thank you though!!

I like the podcast and find the discussions interesting, but mindlessly reading reports to us is monotonous and lifeless. Stick to the engaging conversations. Otherwise, it’s too easy to tune it out.

Progressive pen.....

The facts matter and Fred along with the BCP Team and all of Brookings for that matter are doing great work bringing solid, nonpartisan perspectives on important issues into the limelight. Policy wonks unite!

Great guests. Great host. Great sound, no dead space, etc. Conversation is focused and technical. There might be an occasional short segment about what's "hot" in the news, but other than that, the interviews really home in on a particular, non-sensational topic.

I don't necessarily always like what the commenters are saying, but I always recognize it as insightful and most importantly, without sensationalism and hyperbole. These scholars are not trying to sell books or sway the masses, they are offering dispassionate and important analysis of the important issues of our time.

Thanks, thanks, thanks

Fantastic show with experts from Brookings sharing their work and insights. Fred is a great host, and the segments of the show keeps things interesting and relevant. Always love the fun Steve Hess stories as well.

This is one of my favorite podcasts of all time. I feel so much more confident discussing the issues featured on the show because the arguments and explanations are cogent but thorough. The experts are fascinating and topics always very pertinent. A must listen for all students!!

Rare chance to hear experts in foreign policy, economics, climate change, education and more talk about their research in understandable and clear ways. I've learned so much. Also so fun and engaging to hear scholars be human and speak about how they became interested in their studies.

Love the Cafeteria podcast. Every episode is good, but I can scan through and find specific topics that I’m interested in, or that are big in the news, to really dive deep into a policy issue. It’s great to hear directly from the experts and not a talking head.

This is the type of podcast you put on while sitting in front of a fire, pouring yourself a glass of wine, and thinking deeply about the world's problems. It's interesting and calming at the same time, like you've joined a group of really intelligent friends for a 30-minute chat.

I went into listening with fairly low expectations. I found that the content was both interesting and balanced (at least what I listened to). Fred is an excellent host, I would consider him to be Carson Daly mixed with Ben Stein and a little Frank Sinatra thrown in to taste. Altogether delightful.

I regular guy with a special ability to reach scholars.

As a previous reviewer said, this podcast humanizes some pretty wonky subjects. The interviewer deserves a lot of credit for that, but the experts being interviewed also show an ability to break down difficult topics. All the podcasts are 30 minutes and are published once a week so its a great regular program for your queue.

NPR listeners would enjoy this. Saw this podcast listed on the Brookings website and gave it a try. These are great conversations that humanize some fairly wonky topics. They're about 30 minutes so you get insights and details that go deeper than most news coverage.