How Do We Fix It?

The promise and perils of direct democracy are at the heart of the debate over voter propositions and ballot initiatives. They have emerged as one way that citizens in more than two dozen U.S. states can vote directly on policy and bring issues they care about to their fellow voters.This episode is inspired by the recent podcast series, "When The People Decide", from The McCourtney Institute for Democracy. The show's producer, writer and host, Jenna Spinelle, tells the stories of some remarkable people who have organized initiative campaigns across the country. We speak with her about the history of ballot measures, including California's Prop 13 in 1978, and more recent efforts to expand Medicaid.Ballot initiatives are "a very powerful tool that citizens have, particularly when there is broad support for change to an existing policy or law", Jenna tells us. Over the past four decades in California and elsewhere the political establishment has been frequently shaken by the results.In this episode we hear about the story of Desmond Meade, the voting rights activist who led a winning ballot initiative to change Florida’s constitution to give people like him — with past felony convictions — the right to vote. Desmond is Executive Director of The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which led the campaign that resulted in America’s largest expansion of voting rights since the civil rights era. We also speak about Katie Fahey, the democracy activist who led the successful grassroots effort  to ban partisan gerrymandering in Michigan.  At "Voters Not Politicians", she organized thousands of volunteers who collected over 425,000 voter signatures for Proposal 2, a ballot initiative amending the state constitution to create an independent redistricting commission. We also spoke at length with Katie in episode #262.Recommendation: Jim is reading "Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System" by M. Chris Fabricant. In their regular conversation at the end of the show, Jim and Richard discuss their skepticism of proposed federal ballot initiatives. Our podcasts are part of the Democracy Group podcasts network. "How Do We Fix It?" is a production of DaviesContent. We are supporting members of Bridge Alliance Education Fund. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World-renowned author and scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson became fascinated with astrophysics when he was a teenager. Best-selling science writer Mary Roach is known for her quirky humor and wide-eyed curiosity as she explores the often bizarre science of human behavior.This episode includes six unique perspectives about passion, purpose, and meaning in our own lives. Investment advisor and wealth manager Karen Firestone shares a story about a chance encounter with advice columnist Ann Landers, who gave her a new understanding of risk vs. reward. Obstetrician-gynecologist Rose Gowen speaks about her mission to get her small city with a large obesity problem to exercise more and eat better food. Emily Esfahani Smith, author of "The Power of Meaning", talks about her passion for learning from strangers. Long-distance trucker Finn Murphy reveals a long-time love of America's roads and highways.What we share today was sparked by our guests who bring deep intellect, emotion, and enthusiasm to the microphone as they reflect on what excites and moves them about their work and fields of expertise. All of us can learn from their wisdom as we seek ways to lead more fulfilling lives and make a difference to others in huge and tiny ways. This episode was first recorded in 2017. Recommendation: Jim has been thoroughly enjoying the new 2022 Netflix series, "Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From pandemics, populism and climate change, AI and ISIS, inflation and growing tensions with China and Russia, we are faced with enormous challenges— some of which threaten our existence. In this episode we discuss how we are all influenced by our personal perspectives and prejudices— our frames— and how we can use mental models to see patterns, solve problems and go beyond a narrow lens of red vs. blue or "us" vs. "them."Our guests are Kenneth Cukier, deputy executive editor of "The Economist" and Francis de Véricourt, professor of management science at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. Both are co-authors of "Framers. Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil." This innovative book shows how framing is not just a way to improve decision-making in an age of algorithms and machine learning, but also a matter for survival at a time of upheaval.Real-world examples of how framers changed the world include: The rapid rise of #MeToo, which went viral on Twitter after the actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a request to her followers: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Successful, innovative responses to Covid-19 were made by the governments of New Zealand and Taiwan. Recently, the Federal Reserve was forced to change its inflation frame before beginning a series of interest rate hikes. In our interview we learn why the advice to "think outside the box" is useless, and how to understand the role of mental models in our own daily lives.Recommendation: Jim and Richard suggest a puzzle: The New York Times Spelling Bee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American voters are deeply dissatisfied with the government in Washington. They feel shut out of Congressional deliberations. We discuss a promising new initiative that helps engage citizens much more directly in the work of Congress and state legislatures.While Congressional gridlock has reached a new high, groundbreaking new research that we report on in this episode shows that the American people are far less polarized than elected officials. There is extensive bipartisan common ground on a surprising range of controversial issues— from abortion and immigration to the environment and law enforcement. Our guests are Gail Hoffman, President of The Hoffman Group, a public affairs strategist and consultant for the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland, and Voice of the People. She has served in federal and state government, including in the Clinton White House and in the U.S. Justice Department under Attorney General Janet Reno. JP Thomas is Voice of the People's Director of External Relations, and an organizer and government relations professional, who develops campaigns and strategies to promote the use of public consultation to consult citizens on key public policy issues."When you actually look at the things that need to be done to fix things in this country, the degree of agreement and commonality is remarkable," Gail tells us. The debate in Congress is not a reflection of the American people and where they stand and the American people know that." The Program for Public Consultation has developed detailed policymaking simulations that put citizens in the shoes of a policymaker. They get a briefing on policy options under consideration and evaluate the pros and cons of an issue and then make recommendations. We walk through this process and discuss how this detailed research is profoundly different from traditional polls and surveys of voters.  This effort to "put the public back in public service" was recently featured in The New York Times.Recommendation: Richard enjoyed the hit movie "Top Gun: Maverick". We discuss the impact of the film's enormous success at the box office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neighborhood, local and regional inequality has been overlooked too long. In this episode we visit four cities and towns with deep poverty and gutted public services— where entire communities are struggling to hold on.Our guest is Michelle Wilde Anderson, a professor of property, local government and environmental justice at Stanford Law School. Her new book is "The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America"."We have given up on many of these places", Michelle tells us. Discarded America is "a term that describes active decision making."She reports on efforts to revive four communities— Stockton California, Lawrence Massachusetts, Josephine County Oregon, and Detroit.The focus is on local activists, community leaders, elected officials and others who have poured their heart and soul into fighting for the places where they live. In these places and others some of the most basic aspects of local government services have been dismantled.We learn about the devastating impact of the foreclosure crisis, opioid addiction and long economic decline as jobs and entire industries moved offshore or to other parts of the country.As always with our podcast, there is also a focus on solutions, as we discuss examples of civic pride and rebuilding.Book Review: "Building Back Better— One Community at a Time (New York Times).Our Recommendation: Richard is watching the FX drama series, "The Old Man", starring Jeff Bridges, Jon Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The January 6th hearings are a reminder of the impact of hatred for the other side and toxic polarization. We are rigidly divided by our politics, Facebook and other social media sites, and by news media. Nearly half of us have stopped talking with someone about political topics as a result of what they said in person or online. Our culture of contempt is dividing us all and making America ungovernable.How do we use science and proven methods to reduce toxic polarization and push back against conflict entrepreneurs? This episode presents a way forward.We repeat this episode with Peter Coleman, who is a leading expert on intractable conflict and sustainable peace. Peter is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University and director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. Peter's new book is "The Way Out. How to Overcome Toxic Polarization."We discuss research on how deeply divided societies can and do change. We learn more about the role you can play to navigate these times most effectively – as well as what to look for in groups and organizations in your community that are already at work making America more functional again.In this episode, Peter praised the work of the Bridging Divides Initiative, a group that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. The initiative supports efforts to grow and build local community resilience throughout elections and other periods of heightened risk, laying the groundwork for longer-term efforts towards reconciliation.Recommendation: Jim is listening to the podcast series, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, a history of rock from 1938 to 1999, hosted by Andrew Hickey.aWjyPCPZFrs0sg4bAoNd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation is through the roof. Stocks are through the floor. Most economists say that a recession is likely to hit soon or is already here. Add to this the economic impact of the Ukraine invasion, an entitlements crisis with the possible bankruptcy of Medicare and Social Security trust funds in the coming years, and today's weird housing market. In this episode, we discuss all these, plus the tough choices now facing the Federal Reserve, political dysfunction in Washington, disruption of global supply chains, and the roots of the inflation crisis.Our guest is Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, the author of "The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well is the Key to Success." "The biggest issue is getting the political will to act like grownups," Megan tells us."We used to have one party that would try to keep taxes reasonable... and the other party would keep the spending down to match the taxes. Now we're in a situation where everyone gets in and wants to spend all of the money without any regard to discipline."Also, learn about what Richard's brother knew about Just-in-Time Production, and Jim's Dad understood about monetarism.Recommendation: Jim is reading "Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle", by critic and journalist Jody Rosen. She examines the bicycle’s past and peers into its futureHelp us spread the word about our podcast. Here's Our Patreon account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent weeks the great American divide grew again. Explosive revelations from the House January 6th Hearings and Supreme Court decisions on abortion, guns and the EPA's ability to limit carbon emissions from power plants are further examples of where the middle has been weakened. On many media platforms nuance is replaced by taunts and jeers. Our nation is trapped in high conflict. Both sides are paralyzed by fear and anger as they demonize and misunderstand the actions and motivations of the other. The bitter national narrative of "us versus them" is a threat to democracy and stops Congress and other public institutions from working together to build a better world.Best-selling author and investigative journalist, Amanda Ripley, is our guest in this repeat episode. She is well-known for her writing in The Atlantic, Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. We discuss her groundbreaking book, “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."Amanda argues that good conflict can teach us to be better people, who are capable of solutions as they move past misunderstandings. Many are trapped in high conflict, which is threatening to tear us apart, creating an even deeper crisis than we have now.We discuss "conflict entrepreneurs"— cable TV personalities, talk radio hosts, and politicians from both left and right — who profit from making us angry and fearful."Most Americans want out of this high conflict," Amanda tells How Do We Fix It? "They very much want to see a different way of disagreeing among their politicians and the news media. They are frequently tuning out of politics and the news, which is a big problem, but totally understandable."Recommendation: Jim enjoyed watching "Long Strange Trip", a highly-praised documentary about the rock band, the Grateful Dead. TV viewers can watch it on Amazon Prime. 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 55 million people have dementia. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that the U.S. total is nearly six million cases. The numbers are growing with the aging of the population. The incidence of Alzheimer's increased more than 50% in the past 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.

History was made on January 6th, 2021, yet nearly 18 months later we are still coming to terms with what happened before and during the attack on the U.S. Capitol. In this episode, Richard and Jim discuss what's been revealed by the House Select Committee that continues to investigate the disturbing events of that day.We include excerpts from statements by Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D) and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney. Our discussion looks at the controversy over how the Committee was formed and how its findings will be viewed by voters, elected officials, legal analysts and historians. The first Select Committee hearing was aired during prime time on a Thursday night. While much of it was solemn and deliberative, there were moments of theater and passion. In their discussion, Jim and Richard share their different views of whether or not the work of the Committee has been as effective as it should have been.  Recommendation: Jim has been re-reading the dystopian novel "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.This episode also includes a promotion for another fine podcast— "The Purple Principle". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.