The topic of 'checks and balances' is central to the podcast episodes provided, which explore various aspects of how the system of separated powers and mutual oversight intended by the US Constitution has been challenged or eroded in recent years.

Several episodes discuss Supreme Court rulings that have impacted the balance of power, such as the overturning of Chevron deference in "A Win for Fishermen: Chevron Deference is Overturned" and the ruling on presidential immunity in "Can Biden Drone Strike Trump? SCOTUS Immunity Decision Fully Explained".

Other episodes examine broader threats to democratic norms and checks on executive power, including "Martin Wolf and Fiona Hill on democracy's year of peril" and "'The world's coolest dictator'", which looks at the erosion of checks and balances in El Salvador.

The podcast "994: A.J. Jacobs | The Year of Living Constitutionally" takes a more historical and contemplative approach, analyzing the framers' original intent for the system of checks and balances and considering how it could be revived.

Overall, these episodes demonstrate the central importance of a well-functioning system of checks and balances to the health of a democracy.