How Do We Fix It?

American democracy is in a moment of crisis. A new Gallup poll, released in late October, says a near-record-high 34% of Americans cite the government, poor leadership or politicians as the most important problem currently facing the U.S.In this episode, we look at the work of a new online news site, The Fulcrum, which is focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American democracy. "Our goal is to raise the level of awareness so people can understand what's wrong with the political system, and how they may go about getting involved to help make it better," says David Meyers, publisher and executive editor of The Fulcrum. We look at the controversy over voting rights, access to polling, the role of money in the American political system, gerrymandering, and how a group of volunteer hackers broke into all 100 voting machines they went after. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern thought has been damaged by dogma and tribalistic click-bait. Social media and the fractured state of politics reward slick slogans and partisan anger while penalizing those who speak with intellectual honesty. Our guest, feminist writer and author, Meghan Daum, says instead of following the crowd we need to think for ourselves. While very supportive of the goals of the women's movement, she is also critical of the excesses of modern feminism. In this episode she makes the case for nuance and feeling conflicted about our own opinions. "I always say to my students, if you're not conflicted you're either lying to yourself or you're not very smart," she says.Meghan is the author of "The Problem With Everything: A Journey Through The New Culture Wars". Her witty and rigorous new book is a personal account of "the conflicted and tortured state of liberalism generally and feminism in particular. But it is also a personal story of feeling existentially unmoored against the backdrop of a country falling apart." Meghan Daum is also a contributor to Medium. Her article, "Nuance: A Love Story" is here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American democracy is in crisis, with a coarsening of our national conversation and an erosion of public trust that threatens the guardrails of self-government. Many citizens feel dislocated, disempowered and believe that remote institutions and government don't listen to their needs and interests.One way to bridge divides is to listen to a broader range of opinions, from people not like you.Our guest is Pearce Godwin, founder and CEO of Listen First Project, which has 250 partner organizations who have joined the #ListenFirst movement as well as the thousands who have signed the Listen First Pledge.Listen First sounds like a moderate idea, but "I think it really is radical," Pearce tells "How Do We Fix It?" Coming to conversations "with a spirit of curiosity is what will bring us to a place in which we are learning from one another and building greater connections, as opposed to throwing grenades and tearing each other apart."The four key ingredients of a listen first conversation include listening to understand, being curious, suspending judgement, and maximizing a diversity of perspectives. More tips here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The furore over the decision by House Democrats to launch a formal impeachment investigation into President Trump will be the subject of heated debate for many months. In this episode we take a deeper look at leadership, and why good leaders are so vital to the future of our democracy, and for all organizations-- large and small. "In times of turmoil this is even more important," says our guest, Davia Temin, a highly experienced crisis manager, and leadership and communications coach. "Leadership is particularly important right now, because we are living in a very muddy universe."In business and non-profit organizations, highly successful leaders have learned vital lessons about strategy, communication and ethics. We hear from Stephen Miles, a widely respected leadership coach and top-level succession planning executive. His deep understanding of what makes great leaders is featured in The Miles Group podcast series, "C-Suite Intelligence: Leadership Lessons From Coaches to the World's Top Performing Executives." This episode includes several extracts. Listen to the whole series, hosted by Richard Davies, here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dementia provokes profound moral questions about our society and the meaning of life itself. How much are we connected to one another? In what ways are we distant and separated? What does it mean to have a self? How can we offer dignity to those who suffer from Alzheimer's and other forms of this terrible disease?Worldwide around 50 million people have dementia. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that the U.S. total is more than five million. The numbers are growing with the aging of the population. The incidence of Alzheimers increased more than 50% in the pst 15 years. People over the age of 85 are the largest growing share of the population.British journalist and author Nicci Gerrard is our guest. Her father's long struggle with dementia led Nicci to investigate what the disease does to those who live with it and to their caregivers. She writes with deep wisdom, kindness and empathy in her new book, "The Last Ocean A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting."In modern, developed nations, "we so value being young, healthy, vigorous, successful, purposeful, and autonomous," says Nicci. "In dementia all these things gradually unravel."Following her father's death in 2014, Nicci Gerrard cofounded John's Campaign, which seeks to make care more compassionate for those who are vulnerable and powerless.In this episode, we discuss her journey, what's she learned, and ways to improve dementia care, including the need for open an unrestricted visiting hours at hospitals-- still a controversial topic-- and dementia villages, a fairly new way to help people with memory loss improve quality of life. Here's a link to more information about Nicci's work and her book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With harsh rhetoric from President Trump, who wants strict new limits on refugees, asylum seekers and some other forms of immigration, to calls by several Democratic Presidential candidates to decriminalize all border crossings, the immigration debate is increasingly dominated by slogans rather than substance.Hopes for a comprehensive and humane overhaul of U.S. immigration law have all but disappeared for now."The reality is illegal immigration has come to be THE conversation, says our guest, Andrew Selee, President of the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute, which seeks to improve immigration policies through fact-based research. "Most immigration in the United States is legal immigration," he says. "What we're not talking about is that most people are legal immigrants, and that most people are coming Asia, rather than Latin America."Also, he says: "immigrants on average have a higher education level than native-born Americans, which is something few of us realize."In this episode, we unpack the myths about migration and look at potential solutions-- including ways to speed up the backlog of asylum cases, the benefits of a more merit-based system of legal immigration, and a path to legal residency for many of the millions of undocumented people now living in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kids are smart, strong, and at least as capable as their parents were at their age. So, when the crime rate is at a 50-year-low, why does society insist on bubble-wrapping them? Why are we encouraged to protect children from minor cases of physical or mental discomfort? Why don’t we trust them to do things safely or successfully on their own?These questions about raising kids are tackled in this episode of "How Do We Fix It?" We consider practical solutions for parents and schools."Treating kids as physically and emotionally fragile is bad for their future, and ours," says our guest, Lenore Skenazy, founder of Free Range Kids and President of Let Grow, a group that helps schools set-up unstructured free play before and after school hours.A recent study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that rates of depression among teenagers rose nearly 60% since 2009. The number of young people seen in emergency rooms who had attempted suicide or reported having suicidal thoughts doubled between 2007 and 2015."What Let Grow is trying to do is change behavior, because once a parent sees a kid do something independently...the parents are so overjoyed with seeing their kid blossoming they are rewired," says Lenore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From dating to switching jobs and managing retirement. We all manage risk. Want to get better at it?The best way to learn is to ask some of the real experts: Magicians, gamblers, big-wave surfers, horse breeders, and prostitutes. That's what economist, journalist and risk advisor Allison Schrager did. She's our guest in this episode.For people faced with risky decisions every day, making the right choices can be the difference between success or failure, and in some cases, life and death. Allison is the author of the new book "An Economist Walks Into a Brothel: And Other Unexpected Places to Learn About Risk." She visited Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel, hung out with paparazzi who stalked celebrities, spoke with movie makers in Hollywood, and went to a risk conference for surfers in Hawaii as part of her extensive research for the book.We learn basic lessons about human psychology as well as hedging, diversification, leverage and insurance. "You take risks to get what you want in life, and you're never going to get what you want without taking risks," says Allison. An Oscar Award-winning documentary is mentioned: "Free Solo," about Alex Honnold's attempt  to become the first person to climb the face of America's most famous rock, the 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, without a rope. Also, learn more about Allison's firm, LifeCycle Finance Partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A trade war with China is a growing threat to U.S. influence and the global economy. What began more than a year ago with President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs has become an unpleasant economic reality for many American businesses. Recently, the U.S. labeled China a “currency manipulator.” But Perhaps, an even larger long-term threat comes China’s aggressive espionage offensive that is playing out in behind-the-scenes as of the U.S. and China struggle for global dominance.Our guest is Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow and director of Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Her most recent book, “The Third Revolution: Xi Jinpeng and the New Chinese State”, explains the background to recent dramatic changes inside China.She is among a distinguished group of China specialists who once favored engagement with Beijing, but are now calling for the United States to take a more forceful approach as China attempts to undermine democratic values. "Managing this relationship is essential," says Elizabeth. "It cannot allowed to it to spiral down too far." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the U.S. economy about to fall off a cliff? Declining growth, financial market jitters, and a growing rift between the U.S. and China are all fueling fears of a recession.For the first time in 12 years, since shortly before the last recession, interest rate yields on 10-year government notes are lower than for short-term loans. This inverted yield curve is highly unusual and the latest sign that a sharp slowdown could happen soon."The inverted yield curve has accurately predicted seven out of the last seven recessions in the past half century, says our guest, award-winning financial journalist and best-selling author Diana Henriques. In this episode we look at the risks of a recession and constructive ways to handle it. These include:- "A calming voice from the cockpit." The need for wise leadership and strong communication skills from The White House.- Experienced financial regulators who know what to do in a crisis.- Greater attention from big business to the needs of stakeholders, not just shareholders. "A modern economy and financial system plugged in to global financial systems is a complex, delicate machine," says Diana. What's needed is "somebody watching it that knows what they're doing... how to explain what's happening and what plans they have to explain it to the public in a way that's credible and understandable."Protecting yourself in case of a recession... link.More on Diana Henriques books and media engagements... here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.