Open to Debate
America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Open to Debate offers an antidote to the chaos. We bring multiple perspectives together for real, nonpartisan debates. Debates that are structured, respectful, clever, provocative, and driven by the facts. Open to Debate is on a mission to restore balance to the public square through expert moderation, good-faith arguments, and reasoned analysis. We examine the issues of the day with the world’s most influential thinkers spanning science, technology, politics, culture, and global affairs. It’s time to build a stronger, more united democracy with the civil exchange of ideas. Be open-minded. Be curious. Be ready to listen. Join us in being Open to Debate. (Formerly Intelligence Squared U.S.)
276
#94 - Will Flexing America's Muscles In The Mid...
With Aaron David Miller, Paul Pillar, Michael Doran, and Bret Stephens
51 min
277
#93 - Should We Embrace The Common Core?
With Carmel Martin, Michael Petrilli, Carol Burris, and Frederick Hess
51 min
278
Retrospective On Hamas And Israel
Revisiting a debate from 2006
16 min
279
#92 - Is There A Constitutional Right To Unlimi...
With Floyd Abrams, Nadine Strossen, Burt Neuborne, and Zephyr Teachout
51 min
280
#91 - Is Death Final?
With Dr. Eben Alexander, Dr. Raymond Moody, Sean Carroll, and Dr. Steven Novella
50 min
281
#90 - Do Millennials Stand A Chance?
With Binta Niambi Brown, W. Keith Campbell, David D. Burstein, Jessica Grose
51 min
282
The Controversy Over Ayaan Hirsi Ali At Brandei...
Women's rights activist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, became the center a media firestorm last week, when Brandies University reversed its decision to grant her an honorary degree. While they commend her for being "a compelling public figure and advocate...
13 min
283
#89 - More Clicks, Fewer Bricks: Is The Lecture...
With Anant Agarwal, Ben Nelson, Jonathan Cole, and Rebecca Schuman
51 min
284
Does Affirmative Action On Campus Do More Harm ...
Affirmative action, when used as a factor in college admissions, is meant to foster diversity and provide equal opportunities in education for underrepresented minorities. But is it achieving its stated goals and helping the population it was created...
50 min
285
#88 - Is Russia A Marginal Power?
With Ian Bremmer, Edward Lucas, Amb. Robert D. Blackwill, and Peter Hitchens
50 min
286
Does The President Have Constitutional Power To...
With the drone strike on accused terrorist and New Mexico-born Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, President Obama has tested the limits of the executive branch’s powers. Does the president have constitutional authority under the due process clause to...
50 min
287
Was Snowden Justified?
Has Edward Snowden done the U.S. a great service? There is no doubt that his release of highly classified stolen documents has sparked an important public debate, even forcing what could be a major presidential overhaul of the NSA’s surveillance...
50 min
288
Is Obamacare Beyond Rescue?
With the disastrous launch of the HealthCare.gov website, critics of the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” were given more fuel for the fire. Is this political hot potato's inevitability once again at stake? And is the medical community...
50 min
289
Reconsidering The Minimum Wage
Although widespread retail-worker strikes failed to enact a rise of the federal minimum wage in 2013, on the state level, the tide is turning. Last week 13 states started the New Year by raised their minimum wage, and as many as 11 states, and...
12 min
290
Don't Eat Anything With A Face
According to a 2009 poll, around 1% of American adults reported eating no animal products. In 2011 that number rose to 2.5%--more than double, but still dwarfed by the 48% who reported eating meat, fish or poultry at all of their meals. In this...
50 min
291
Does Spying Keep Us Safe?
The NSA collects data on billions of phone calls and internet communications per day. Are these surveillance programs legal? Do they keep us safe? If not for the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, most Americans would be unaware of the vast amounts...
50 min
292
Has The Constitutional Right To Bear Arms Outli...
Recent mass shooting tragedies have renewed the national debate over the 2nd Amendment. Gun ownership and homicide rates are higher in the U.S. than in any other developed nation, but gun violence has decreased over the last two decades even as gun...
50 min
293
Let Anyone Take A Job Anywhere
If we value a free market in goods and free movement of capital, should we embrace the free movement of labor? Reciprocal treaties would allow citizens of the U.S. and other countries to work legally across borders. Would the elimination of barriers...
50 min
294
For A Better Future, Live In A Red State
While gridlock and division in Washington make it difficult for either party or ideology to set the policy agenda, single-party government prevails in three-quarters of the states. In 24 states Republicans control the governorship and both houses of...
50 min
295
Should We Break Up The Big Banks?
To prevent the collapse of the global financial system in 2008, The Treasury committed 245 billion in taxpayer dollars to stabilize America’s banking institutions. Today, banks that were once “too big to fail” have only grown bigger....
50 min
296
Is The Two-Party System Making America Ungovern...
The government shutdown is a dramatic display of the growing strife not only between the Republican and Democratic parties, but also, among the GOP itself. For some, the shut down has even called into question the effectiveness of the American...
14 min
297
Is The Two-Party System Making America Ungovern...
The government shutdown is a dramatic display of the growing strife not only between the Republican and Democratic parties, but also, among the GOP itself. For some, the shut down has even called into question the effectiveness of the American...
14 min
298
Healthcare Retrospective
Although President Obama signed it into law in March of 2010, the Affordable Care Act remains one of the nation’s most divisive issues. Over the past nearly four years, House Republicans have voted 40 times to repeal the law in part or in...
17 min
299
Is The U.S. Drone Program Fatally Flawed?
Remotely piloted aircraft, or drones, have been the centerpiece of America’s counterterrorism toolkit since the start of the Obama presidency, and the benefits have been clear. Their use has significantly weakened al Qaeda and the Taliban...
50 min
300
Does The U.S. Have A Dog In The Fight In Syria?
Is there a clear course of action the U.S. could take to help the Syrian people that would lead to a better outcome for the country? Or is greater U.S. involvement likely to do little good in the end? The question has taken on a new sense of urgency...
50 min