Last week New Jersey Democrats backed off from a plan that would essentially gerrymander their state in Democrats’ favor, while Wisconsin Republicans went ahead with a plan to strip the incoming Democratic governor of some of his powers. The FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast crew discusses why Democrats appear less inclined to play power politics and whether that will change.

They also debate the significance of a possible government shutdown over funding for a border wall with Mexico and play a round of “Guess What Americans Think,” using the 2018 midterm exit polls.

You can listen to the episode by clicking the “play” button in the audio player above or by downloading it in iTunes, the ESPN App or your favorite podcast platform. If you are new to podcasts, learn how to listen.

The FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast publishes Monday evenings, with occasional special episodes throughout the week. Help new listeners discover the show by leaving us a rating and review on iTunes. Have a comment, question or suggestion for “good polling vs. bad polling”? Get in touch by email, on Twitter or in the comments.