In a media environment often reduced to sound bites and partisan talking points, the Alabama Policy Institute’s Alabama Policy Insights podcast offers something rarer: real conversations with the people who actually shape the state’s laws, elections, and future.
The show is where you get to know the issues shaping Alabama without the spin. Rather than serving as a typical debate style program, episodes include extended, unscripted briefings with key decision-makers and experts.
Broadcast from API headquarters in Birmingham and hosted by President and CEO Stephanie Smith, the show brings state and national leaders into the studio to examine the issues affecting families, businesses, and communities across the Yellowhammer State.
“Both policy and politics are relational at heart,” Smith explains. “We started Alabama Policy Insights to sit down with state and national leaders to talk about issues, but my favorite part about hosting is getting to know the ‘who’ behind the ‘why’.”
API’s Mission and the Podcast’s Place Within It
Founded in 1989, the Alabama Policy Institute is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to free markets, limited government, and strong families.
Through research, advocacy, and public education, API advances conservative policy solutions and serves as a resource for lawmakers and citizens alike.
Alabama Policy Insights extends that work into the alternative media landscape, moving past headlines to examine both the substance of policy and the motivations of those who pursue it.
A Host Shaped by Experience
Named a “Woman of Impact” by Yellowhammer News, Smith is a consistent conservative voice who has managed political campaigns and authored pieces for national, regional, and local media outlets.
Smith is a mother of seven and a veteran of nearly three decades in politics and public service who brings uncommon depth to the host’s chair.
Before her role as President and CEO of the Alabama Policy Institute, Smith served as Director of Government Affairs for a Fortune 500 Company based in Alabama, Deputy Finance Director State of Alabama, and Principal of the Thatcher Coalition.
Guests and Topics That Go Beyond Headlines
The show’s guest list bridges local Montgomery politics and national policy debates for conversations aligned with API’s core values:
- Strong Families & Parental Rights: Discussions on school choice, alongside conversations with Connor Boyack (founder of the Libertas Institute and creator of the Tuttle Twins series) on civic literacy and American history among modern students.
- Free Markets & Limited Government: Fiscal deep dives into taxes, government spending, and economic growth with leaders like Senator Tommy Tuberville—who also tackled immigration and AI education—and Caroleene Dobson on voter-roll integrity and business expansion.
- Public Integrity & Community Health: Analysis of the fiscal and social costs of legalized gambling with Les Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling, as well as high-profile political interviews with Secretary of State Wes Allen, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Congressman Barry Moore.
More Than Talking Points
API research reports supply the data and recommendations; Alabama Policy Insights supplies the context and character.
In a state where Montgomery’s decisions directly ripple through classrooms, small businesses, and household budgets, understanding the people behind those choices is essential for informed citizenship.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, Alabama Policy Insights offers listeners a chance to look past compressed news cycles and evaluate both the ideas—and the people—moving Alabama forward. Tune into the latest episode today.
