Polarization Series: The Keys to Good Conflict. Hélène Biandudi Hofer

You can't have too much of a really good thing. That's why we decided to invite Lenore Skenazy,founder of Free Range Kids, to make a welcome return to "How Do We Fix It?" She was a guest on an earlier show.Lenore is the passionate and playful campaigner, who says most American kids don't have nearly enough unstructured free time, when they can be curious and engage the world on their own terms."Free time is unsupervised time," Lenore tells us. "It's not a parent sitting there saying 'oh, that was really good, or try it this way.' Sometimes you've got to do things that are really bad and try it the wrong way, because that's the creative process." Lenore says parenting styles have changed in the past 30 years, especially for many urban and upper-middle classes Moms and Dads. Risk avoidance seems more important than stimulating a child's imagination."Think back on your own childhood. Your parents loved you and they let you go. And it's a new thing not to give children any freedom."From the Free Range Kids statement of where it stands: "Fighting the belief that are children are in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of the non-organic grape." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Apr 201627min

We have a problem in our society. Too many people don't understand science or the importance of the scientific method. Many children aren't learning the basics of math and science, which closes off a broad range of career opportunities. It's also a problem in our civil society. A broader understanding of how science works would help parents know why they need to vaccinate their kids or what's going on with climate change. Science evangelist Ainissa Ramirez has some great fixes. She's the author of "Save Our Science" and "Newton's Football," a lively book about the science of America's favorite sport. Ainissa is dedicated to making science fun for people of all ages. Her excellent two-minute podcast, "Science Underground," helps spread the word." We all start off as scientists," Ainissa tells us in this episode. "If you look at a 4-year-old's hands, they're completely dirty, because they're engaging with the world. But then something happens. School happens" The science knowledge deficit holds back many girls and minorities. But Ainissa says "girls used to rock STEM at one point." Find out what happened in this episode of "How Do We Fix It?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Mars 201628min

This episode looks at the simple, highly personal way that living room conversations allow people of different viewpoints to really hear each other. A progressive activist, Joan Blades was deeply involved in starting MoveOn.org in the late 90's. More recently she has also worked on ways to encourage respect and dialog among liberals, independents and conservatives. She is the cofounder of LivingRoomConversations.org. In part one last week (episode 43), we looked at why Americans need to find new ways to speak about our differences, such as visiting websites with opposing political opinions, and having conversations that are not vindictive. "It's actually really fun having a living room conversation," says Joan. "They're more fun than if you have a bunch of people around that you know what they're going to say. We get to laugh about our differences once we understand what's going on." Among the first conversations the group had was a discussion on climate and energy. "One of the problems progressives have right now is that if they run into someone who doesn't believe in climate science, they roll their eyes." As soon as you do that, "you've lost your conversation," Joan says. "Nobody listens to anybody." Here are some of the topics we raised in this episode: LivingRoomConversations.org has simple for ground rules each meeting - encouraging participants to be curious, show respect and take turns. Listening to people is the best way to get people to listen to you. These conversations are not debates. Instead of winning, the aim is come up with solutions. LivingRoomConverstions.org guidelines are open-source. People can use what works for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Mars 201617min

How can you talk to people you disagree with? We Talk to Joan Blades, the founder of MoveOn.org about how to bridge the partisan divide.This show is another response to the deep partisan divide in America - part one of a fascinating conversation with Joan Blades. Much of our political campaign has been dominated by personal insults, name-calling and dogma. Voters have rewarded politicians who use anger and blame others for the country's problems. Individual citizens are part of the problem and the solution. "We live with the dysfunction of partisan behaviors and believe we must and can do better," says Joan, co-founder of LivingRoomConversations.org. She makes the case for personal dialog across party lines, arguing that it's a key part of changing the way all of us think about politics. A strong progressive, who co-founded the liberal activist group, MoveOn.org in the late 90's, Joan makes the case for listening to those you don't agree with. "It's actually really fun having a living room conversation," she tells us."They're more fun than if you have a bunch of people around and you what they're going to say." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Mars 201621min

Let's face it. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have won far more votes than almost any "expert" forecast. The reason may well be that emotions and learned behavior from others play a far bigger role in our decision making than most of us realize. Our "Fix It" guest Mark Earls - the HERDMeister - is an award-winning British writer and consultant on marketing, communications and human behavior. In his latest book, "Copy, Copy, Copy," Mark shows how we vote and buy stuff by copying others - our friends, family and our neighbors."   "Donald Trump is "much smarter than we give him credit for," says Mark.. "He gets that people need to feel stuff rather than think about it."  In his advertising work, Mark has used the lessons of behavioral science and marketing success to advise clients. He shares his fascinating, if somewhat frustrating insights with us. As voters and consumers we can learn from what his research tells us - even when he go to the supermarket or spend time with friends. "I would not recommend buying grocery shopping when you're hungry," Mark tells us. And... "If I find myself in a British bar I tend to have a glass of beer and that's how it goes, unless somebody else around me goes 'ooh, a gin and tonic. I haven't had a gin and tonic for a long time'. So we both have the same thing." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Mars 201627min

More than any time in recent decades, American politics aredeeply divided. Compromise is a dirty word."The way that we're running the country is that we're notrunning the country," says our guest Mark Gerzon, author of the newbook, "TheReunited States of America."As President of Mediators Foundation, the group he founded 25years ago, Mark has brought people together in conflict zonesaround the world Concerned about increasing polarization in theU.S., Mark is working on the ideological frontier between left andright."We can work together to solve the problems we all face in acountry we all love," Gerzon tells us on this episode of "How Do WeFix It?" But what we have now is a permanent campaign by bothparties. "And after election day they start the next campaign.""We can't solve any of the problems we face if we're tearingeach other down the whole time."Mark's fixes include urging individual citizens to engage indiscussions with people we don't agree with, asking questions aboutwhat they think, rather than stating fixed opinions."Do you want to get drunk on being right and enjoy that feelingof being with the people you agree with and bad mouth the peopleyou don't?," asks Mark.News media coverage, he says, is biased in favor of controversy,contests and clashes."There's a whole America out there that's not getting any newscoverage. And that's the America where Americans work together."Resources for compromise and open-minded dialog include:livingroomconversations.orgbridgealliance.useveryday-democracy.orgdemocracyfund.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Mars 201627min

From the AmericanRevolution and the Founding Fathers - through wars, economic changeand the struggle for civil rights, American history isoverwhelmingly dominated by the achievements and errors ofmen. Women - because they were largely excluded from public andprofessional life for most of our history - play a relatively smallrole in the established narrative of our past. "Role models have a hugeimpact on the way young girls and women in general think aboutthemselves," says Joan Wages, President and CEO of The NationalWomen's History Museum."We need more women role models out in the public sphere so weknow about them."In this episode, Joan tells about the campaign for building aNational Women's History Museum in Washington D.C. TheMuseum's website states: "It will be centrally located near theworld's most prestigious museums and monuments in our Nation'sCapital." Fewer than 20% of the Members of Congress are women.  Incorporate boardrooms the numbers are even lower.  Fewer than5% of CEO's at Fortune 500 companies are women."Each time a young girl hears this, it sends a message to themthat they're not equal. That's what needs to change." This episode has examples of women forgotten by history andlooks at other fixes as well as obstacles as the campaign attemptsto correct an imbalance in how women are portrayed.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Feb 201620min

For its opponents, Obamacare is a disaster - a classic exampleof over-reach by an Administration that wants to expand the sizeand scope of the Federal government.Supporters say The Affordable Care Act is a triumph, benefitingcountless millions of Americans, while reducing the threat ofpersonal bankruptcies in medical emergencies crippling healthcarecosts."We have decreased the rate ofthe uninsured by about a third," says our guest Megan McArdle, acolumnist at Bloomberg View. But Obamacare poses apotentially fatal threat."What people are doing is they're gaming the system." Some withhealth emergencies, who have inadequate medical insurance are"signing up for a fewmonths, using a ton of services and then dropping itagain."Several large insurance companies say they are losing money onthe government-run exchanges. UnitedHealth, the nation's largesthealth insurance firm, warned it would have to pull out if marketconditions didn't improve. Exchange enrollments are lower than thegovernment had forecast. Is Obamacare the victim of "anadverse death spiral"?  Are costs rising faster thanexpected?  Do Americans have unrealistic expectations thatwould doom any attempt to provide better coverage?We debate the arguments from different points of view andsuggest a fix that could involve consumers more directly in costdecisions, while putting a ceiling on heath care costs for eachhousehold.Megan McArdle is the author of "The Upside of Down: Why FailingWell Is The Key To Success."   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Feb 201634min