Power Corrupts is the podcast about the hidden, and often nefarious forces that shape our world. Every week, we tackle one big theme — election rigging, smuggling, conspiracy theories, assassinations, or the politics of magic & witchcraft, to name a few. Each episode combines weird and wild stories with hard-hitting analysis to help you better understand the world.

The podcast is the creation of Dr. Brian Klaas, who also narrates the series. Brian is an assistant professor of global politics at University College London and a weekly columnist for the Washington Post. He is also the author of three books: The Despot’s Apprentice, The Despot’s Accomplice, and How to Rig an Election (co-authored).

Brian is a regular commentator on a wide array of international media outlets, including MSNBC, CNN, BBC News, Sky News, NPR News, etc. Brian’s writing has recently been featured in the New York Times, The Guardian, Foreign Affairs, Newsweek, Foreign Policy, and many others.

He received his DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford (New College), where he also completed an MPhil in Politics (St. Antony’s College). Brian received his BA from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Klaas is a native of Golden Valley, Minnesota. He lives in London.

The executive producer and sound editor of the podcast is George McDonagh.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.