Former President Barack Obama stated on September 25, 2026, that he believes the federal government is less corrupt now than in the past, citing a decrease in bribes, patronage, and favor-trading. This claim was made during the third episode of his podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, which premiered on Amazon’s Audible. In the episode, Obama, alongside historian Jill Lepore, discussed Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 novel All the King’s Men.
Obama noted that many people are surprised to learn about the decline in government corruption. He stated, "People are always surprised when I tell them the federal government is so much less corrupt than probably it’s ever been, in terms of just pure bribes or patronage or favors." He attributed this decline to reforms that have limited lawmakers' ability to form coalitions, referencing the era of Lyndon B. Johnson and the reforms following Watergate that diminished the influence of party bosses.
Obama explained that these changes have made it more challenging to achieve legislative goals, saying, "It’s part of the reason why things got a little harder to get done because that was sort of some lubrication … to help to bridge some of the ideological differences that were out there."
A Gallup poll released on September 2 indicated that 89 percent of U.S. adults believe government corruption is widespread, a ten-point increase from the previous year. Among Democrats, this figure reached 91 percent, while 83 percent of Republicans shared this view.
Democratic officials have been emphasizing the issue of corruption in their campaigns, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker labeling Donald Trump’s presidency as “the most corrupt presidency that we’ve seen in our lifetimes, maybe ever in the United States.” Corruption-related advertisements are being utilized in numerous House races and competitive Senate states. Republican pollster Robert Blizzard noted that public frustration with politics is high.
Obama has also been involved in shaping the Democratic Party's messaging, recently encouraging House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to prioritize artificial intelligence oversight in the party's agenda. This podcast episode is part of Higher Ground’s exclusive deal with Audible and is the first that Obama hosts himself.