Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates
<p>America feels divided. From the most salient questions about our national identity and place in the world, to fundamental concerns about technology, religion, the economy, and public policy, Intelligence Squared U.S. is here to help. A respite from polarized discussions, we bring together the smartest minds to debate and dissect issues in depth, restoring civility and bringing intelligence to the public square in the process.</p>
1
#171 - Should We Replace Private Insurance With...
With Dr. Adam Gaffney, Joseph Sanberg, Nick Gillespie, and Sally Pipes
51 min
2
#170 - Unresolved: Shifting Power in the Middle...
With Michael Doran, Marc Reuel Gerecht, Bernard Haykel, Brett McGurk, and Barbara Slavin
51 min
3
Bonus Episode: Are We In a New Authoritarian Era?
With Susan Glasser & Yascha Mounk
45 min
4
Chris Anderson on Ideas & Inspiration
50 min
5
#169 - Is U.S. Policy Toward China Productive?
With Michael Pillsbury, Kori Schake, Graham Allison, and Jake Sullivan
50 min
6
Simon Johnson on Science & the Economy
54 min
7
Allison Schrager on Risk and Reason In Everyday...
44 min
8
Nadine Strossen & Thane Rosenbaum on Hate Speec...
With Nadine Strossen and Thane Rosenbaum
57 min
9
#168 - Has the Transatlantic Relationship Been ...
With Federiga Bindi, Constanze Stelzenmüller, John Mearsheimer, and Carla Norrlof
50 min
10
Bonus Episode: How Europe Is Answering to "Amer...
32 min
11
#153 - Is Social Media Good for Democracy?
With Jeff Jarvis, Emily Parker, Franklin Foer, and Roger McNamee
49 min
12
#126 - Should the U.S. Give Undocumented Immigr...
With Angela Kelley, Steven Camarota, Marielena Hincapié, and Rich Lowry
52 min
13
#134 - Is Universal Basic Income the Safety Net...
With Charles Murray, Andrew Stern, Jared Bernstein, and Jason Furman
50 min
14
#167 - Should Scientists Dim the Sun?
With Clive Hamilton, Anjali Viswamohanan, David Keith, and Ted Parson
50 min
15
#166 - All Hail the Driverless Car?
With Amitai Bin-Nun, Chris Urmson, Meredith Broussard, and Ashley Nunes
50 min
16
#165 - Should the Republican Party Re-Nominate ...
With Jeff Flake, Bret Stephens, Kris Kobach, and Liz Peek
51 min
17
IQ2 Interview: Should You Love Your Enemies?
With Arthur Brooks
52 min
18
#164 - Can Constitutional Free Speech Principle...
With David French, Corynne McSherry, Nathaniel Persily, and Marietje Schaake
51 min
19
#163 - Unresolved: The Techonomic Cold War With...
With Ian Bremmer, Michèle Flournoy, Yasheng Huang, Parag Khanna, and Susan Thornton
50 min
20
Special Release: Can AI Change Your Mind?
51 min
21
#161 - Should We Bring Extinct Creatures Back T...
With Dr. Ross MacPhee, Stewart Brand, Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild, and Dr. George Church
51 min
22
#160 - Ten Years After the Global Financial Cri...
52 min
23
Season Preview: New Year, New Debates
3 min
24
#83 - Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face?
51 min
25
#105 - Is Smart Technology Making Us Dumb?
With Nicholas Carr, Genevieve Bell, Andrew Keen, and David Weinberger
51 min
26
#159 - Has Silicon Valley Lost Its Soul?
With Noam Cohen, Leslie Berlin, Dipayan Ghosh, and Joshua McKenty
50 min
27
An IQ2US Thanksgiving Tradition
With former National Public Radio CEO, Ken Stern
40 min
28
#158 - Is Trump Bad for Comedy?
With P.J. O'Rourke, Kurt Andersen, Sara Schaefer, and Billy Kimball
50 min
29
#157 - Will Progressive Populism Save The Democ...
With Karine Jean-Pierre, Jonathan Cowan, Jeff Weaver, and Steven Rattner
50 min
30
#156 - Will Retail Alliances Fix the U.S. Healt...
With Dr. Rajaie Batniji, Dr. Lisa Bielamowicz, W. Gregg Slager, and Rosemarie Day
51 min
31
#155 - Unresolved: U.S. National Security
With Derek Chollet, John J. Mearsheimer, Stephen F. Cohen, Kori Schake, and Reuel Marc Gerecht
51 min
32
Join IQ2US Live in New York
Trump's America on the World Stage
4 min
33
#154 - Has Globalization Undermined the America...
With Thea Lee, Jason Furman, Jared Bernstein, and James Manyika
50 min
34
#153 - Is Social Media Good For Democracy?
With Jeff Jarvis, Franklin Foer, Emily Parker, and Roger McNamee
50 min
35
#152 - Trigger Warning: Are Safe Spaces Dangerous?
With David L. Hudson Jr., Ashutosh Bhagwat, Suzanne Nossel, and Michael S. Roth
50 min
36
#151 - Will Automation Crash Democracy?
With Ian Bremmer, Andrew Keen, Yascha Mounk, and Alina Polyakova
52 min
37
#150 - Can Negotiations Denuclearize North Korea?
With Suki Kim, Suzanne DiMaggio, Sue Mi Terry, Bonnie Jenkins, and Mira Rapp-Hooper
51 min
38
#149 - Is Bitcoin More Than A Bubble?
With Patrick Byrne, Eric Posner, Tim Draper, and Gillian Tett
52 min
39
#148 - Should Net Neutrality Be Saved?
With Mitchell Baker, Nick Gillespie, Tom Wheeler, and Michael Katz
51 min
40
#147 - As We Evolve, Do We Need God Less?
With Heather Berlin, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Michael Shermer, and Dr. Anoop Kumar
51 min
41
#146 - Does Humanitarian Intervention Do More H...
The debaters are Frank Ledwidge, Bernard Kouchner, Rajan Menon, Rajan Menon, and Kori Schake.
50 min
42
#145 - Have Dating Apps Killed Romance?
With Eric Klinenberg, Helen Fisher, Manoush Zomorodi, and Tom Jacques, and a conversation with special guest, Daniel Jones
50 min
43
#144 - Unresolved: America's Economic Outlook
With Jason Furman, Simon Johnson, Stephen Moore, Dambisa Moyo, and Gillian Tett.
50 min
44
#143 - Do Liberals Hold the Moral High Ground?
With Howard Dean, David Brooks, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Robert George
50 min
45
Guns, Bibles, & Breaking Bread: A Thanksgiving ...
With former National Public Radio CEO, Ken Stern
38 min
46
#142 - Should College Athletes Be Paid?
With Joe Nocera, Christine Brennan, Andy Schwarz, and Len Elmore
50 min
47
#141 - Is Western Democracy In Danger?
With Bernard-Henri Levy, Clive Crook, Yascha Mounk, and Kori Schake
50 min
48
#140 - Is the U.S. Healthcare System Terminally...
With Shannon Brownlee, Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Dr. Robert Pearl, and Dr. David T. Feinberg
50 min
49
#139 - Face-Off with China: Foreign Policy in t...
With Gen. David H. Petraeus, Max Boot, Ian Bremmer, Elizabeth Economy, Noah Feldman, and David Shambaugh
50 min
50
How to Debate... Yourself.
One Nation Undecided: A Conversation with Peter Schuck
20 min
51
A Summer Challenge: Radical Rethinking
Are you willing to change your mind on abortion? What about immigration? Education?
31 min
52
The State of Debate on Capitol Hill: The Americ...
Former Congressman Mickey Edwards and Host John Donvan discuss the lost art of democratic debate in Congress.
26 min
53
#138 - Your Private Data: Can Tech Companies Ke...
With Stewart Baker, Michael Chertoff, John Yoo, and Catherine Crump
51 min
54
#137 - Will Video Games Make Us Smarter?
With Daphne Bavelier, Elias Aboujaoude, Asi Burak, and Walter R. Boot
50 min
55
#136 - Unresolved: Trump's First 100 Days
With Jamelle Bouie, Ian Bremmer, Kris Kobach, Rich Lowry, and Jennifer Rubin
55 min
56
#135 - Has Walmart Been Good For America?
With John Tierney, Richard K. Vedder, Nelson Lichtenstein, Amy Traub
51 min
57
#134 - Is Universal Basic Income the Safety Net...
With Charles Murray, Andrew Stern, Jared Bernstein and Jason Furman
51 min
58
#133 - Are Charter Schools Overrated?
With Gary Miron, Jeanne Allen, Julian Vasquez Heilig, and Gerard Robinson
52 min
59
#132 - Has the U.S.-Saudi "Special Relationship...
With Madawi Al-Rasheed, F. Gregory Gause, Mark P. Lagon, and James Jeffrey
50 min
60
#131 - Should We Give Trump a Chance?
With Clive Crook, David Frum, Gayle Trotter, and Michael Waldman
50 min
61
#130 - Is Policing Racially Biased?
With Gloria Browne Marshall, Heather Mac Donald, Marq Claxton, and Harry Stern
50 min
62
#129 - Should States Call a Convention to Amend...
With Lawrence Lessig, David Super, Mark Meckler, and Walter Olson
50 min
63
#128 - Is Obama's Foreign Policy a Failure?
With Eliot Cohen, Derek Chollet, Kristen Silverberg, and Vikram Singh
50 min
64
#127 - Has Gerrymandering Destroyed the Politic...
With Caroline Fredrickson, Nolan McCarty, David Daley, and Chris Jankowski
50 min
65
#126 - Should We Give Undocumented Immigrants a...
With Angela Kelley, Steven Camarota, Marielena Hincapié, and Rich Lowry
50 min
66
#125 - Is "Big Pharma" to Blame for Rising Heal...
With Ezekiel Emanuel, Lori Reilly, Neera Tanden, and Paul Howard.
53 min
67
#124 - Are the Elites to Blame for the Trump Ph...
With Timothy Carney, Jennifer Rubin, Ben Domenech, and Bret Stephens
50 min
68
#123 - Climate Change: Has the EPA Gone Overboard?
With Charles McConnell, Carl Pope, Michael Nasi, and Jody Freeman.
50 min
69
Bonus Podcast: The GOP Must Seize The Center Or...
With David Brooks, Laura Ingraham, Mickey Edwards, and Ralph Reed
6 min
70
Bonus Podcast: The Supreme Court Considers Raci...
With Roger Clegg, Deborah Archer, Stuart Taylor, Jr., and Erwin Chemerinsky
46 min
71
#122 - Has The President Usurped The Constituti...
With Michael McConnell, Adam Cox, Carrie Severino, and Eric Posner.
51 min
72
#121 - Do Hunters Conserve Wildlife?
With Anthony Licata, Catherine Semcer, Wayne Pacelle, and Adam Roberts
55 min
73
#120 - Eliminate Corporate Subsidies
With Jack Abramoff, Kate Gordon, Zephyr Teachout, and Michael Lind.
54 min
74
#119 - Should We Trust The Promise Of Artificia...
With Andrew Keen, Jaron Lanier, James Hughes and Martine Rothblatt
51 min
75
#118 - Is Free Speech Threatened On Campus?
With Wendy Kaminer, Shaun Harper, John McWhorter, and Jason Stanley
51 min
76
#117 - Are Lifespans Long Enough?
With Ian Ground, Aubrey de Grey, Paul Root Wolpe, and Brian Kennedy
53 min
77
#116 - Should The U.S. Let In 100,000 Syrian Re...
With Robert Ford, David Frum, David Miliband, and Jessica Vaughan
50 min
78
#115 - Does The Equal Protection Clause Forbid ...
With Roger Clegg, Deborah Archer, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Stuart Taylor, Jr.
52 min
79
#114 - Can Central Banks Print Prosperity?
With Roger Bootle, Edward Conard, Simon Johnson, and Andrew Huszar
53 min
80
#113 - Do U.S. Prosecutors Have Too Much Power?
With Paul Butler, David Hoffman, Nancy Gertner, and Reid Schar
50 min
81
#112 - Should College Students Be Allowed To Ta...
With Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, Eric Racine, Nita Farahany, and Nicole Vincent
50 min
82
#111 - Should We Raise The Federal Gas Tax To F...
With Shailen Bhatt, Adrian Moore, Alison Premo Black, and Stephen Moore
50 min
83
Bonus Podcast: Is Death Final?
With Dr. Eben Alexander, Sean Carroll, Dr. Raymond Moody, and Dr. Steven Novella
46 min
84
Are China And The U.S. Long-Term Enemies?
With Peter Brookes, Robert Daly, John Mearsheimer, and Kevin Rudd
55 min
85
Should Courts Or Campuses Decide Sexual Assault...
With Jed Rubenfeld, Michelle Anderson, Stephen Schulhofer, and Jeannie Suk
52 min
86
Bonus Podcast: Should We Abolish the Minimum Wage?
With James A. Dorn, Jared Bernstein, Russell Roberts, and Karen Kornbluh
48 min
87
Does The U.S. Need To Defeat ISIS, Or Is Contai...
With Michèle Flournoy, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Philip Zelikow, and Dov Zakheim
50 min
88
Bonus Podcast: Israel Can Live With A Nuclear Iran
James Dobbins, Reuven Pedatzur, Shmuel Bar, Jeffery Goldberg
50 min
89
Bonus Podcast: Obamacare Is Now Beyond Rescue
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Megan McArdle, Jonathan Chait, Dr. Douglas Kamerow
47 min
90
Bonus Podcast: Men Are Finished
Hannah Rosin, Dan Abrams, Christina Hoff Sommers, David ZIncZenko
50 min
91
Should States Be Required To License Same-Sex M...
With John Eastman, Evan Wolfson, Sherif Girgis, and Kenji Yoshino
50 min
92
Is Obama's Iran Deal Good For America?
With Philip Gordon, Michael Doran, Thomas Pickering, and Mark Dubowitz.
50 min
93
Bonus Podcast: Too Many Kids Go To College
With Peter Thiel, Charles Murray, Henry Bienen and Vivek Wadhwa
48 min
94
Is Smart Technology Making Us Dumb?
With Nicholas Carr, Genevieve Bell, Andrew Keen, and David Weinberger.
50 min
95
#105 - Should We Abolish the Death Penalty?
With Diann Rust-Tierney, Robert Blecker, Barry Scheck, and Kent Scheidegger.
50 min
96
Has The President Exceeded His Authority By Wag...
With Gene Healy, Akhil Reed Amar, Deborah Pearlstein, and Philip Bobbitt
50 min
97
Should The U.S. Adopt The Right To Be Forgotten...
With Paul Nemitz, Andrew McLaughlin, Eric Posner, and Jonathan Zittrain.
50 min
98
Are Liberals Stifling Intellectual Diversity?
With Greg Lukianoff, Angus Johnston, Kirsten Powers, and Jeremy Mayer.
50 min
99
Should The World Bet On America?
With Josef Joffe, Chrystia Freeland, Peter Zeihan, and James Rickards
50 min
100
Tribute To David Carr
Upon hearing the news of the sudden passing of The New York Times's David Carr on February 12th, 2015, we assembled this rememberance. David appeared on our stage on October 27, 2009 arguing against the debate motion: Good Riddance to Mainstream Media.
6 min
101
Is Amazon The Reader's Friend?
With Joe Konrath, Franklin Foer, Matthew Yglesias, and Scott Turow
50 min
102
Retrospective On The Freedom Of Speech
Thinking back to a 2006 debate in the context of the Charlie Hebdo attack
11 min
103
Should We Genetically Modify Food?
The debaters are Robert Fraley, Charles Benbrook, Alison Van Eenennaam, and Margaret Mellon.
51 min
104
Should We Legalize Assisted Suicide?
In 1994, Oregon voters passed the Death with Dignity Act, which legalized physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Since then, it has become legal in 4 more states, including New Mexico, where the state court ruling that it is constitutional...
51 min
105
Does Income Inequality Impair The American Dream?
With Elise Gould, Edward Conard, Nick Hanauer, and Scott Winship.
51 min
106
Mass Collection Of U.S. Phone Records Violates ...
Some say that the mass collection of U.S. phone records is a gross invasion of privacy. Others say that it is necessary to keep us safe. But what does the U.S. Constitution say? "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,...
51 min
107
Will Flexing America's Muscles In The Middle Ea...
The disintegration of Iraq, Syria’s ongoing civil war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the promise and peril of the Arab Spring... What role should America play in the Middle East? For some America’s restraint has been a sign of...
51 min
108
Should We Embrace The Common Core?
In K-12 education, there is nothing more controversial than the Common Core State Standards, national academic standards in English and math. Adopted by more than 40 states, they were developed, in part, to address concerns that American...
51 min
109
Retrospective On Hamas And Israel
Revisiting a debate from 2006
16 min
110
Is There A Constitutional Right To Unlimited Sp...
Is independent political speech the linchpin of our democracy or its Achilles' heel? For democracy to work, some say, citizens (and corporations, and unions, and media outlets, and other voluntary organizations) must be allowed to express...
51 min
111
Is Death Final?
If consciousness is just the workings of neurons and synapses, how do we explain the phenomenon of near-death experience? Is the prospect of an existence after death “real” and provable by science, or a construct of wishful thinking about...
50 min
112
Do Millennials Stand A Chance?
Millennials—growing up with revolutionary technology and entering adulthood in a time of recession—have recently been much maligned. Are their critics right? Is this generation uniquely coddled, narcissistic, and lazy? Or have we let...
51 min
113
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
114
More Clicks, Fewer Bricks: Is The Lecture Hall ...
Is the college of the future online? With the popularity of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and the availability of online degree programs at a fraction of their on-campus price, we are experiencing an exciting experiment in higher education. Does...
51 min
115
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
116
Is Russia A Marginal Power?
Disarming Syria. Asylum for Edward Snowden. Arming Iran. Deploying troops to Crimea. Is Vladimir Putin flexing his muscles, while our own president fades into the background of world politics, or is it all a global game of smoke and mirrors? Russia is...
50 min
117
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
118
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
119
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
120
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
121
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
122
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
123
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
124
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
125
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
126
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
127
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
128
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
129
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
130
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
131
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
132
Is Cutting The Pentagon's Budget A Gift To Our ...
Political gridlock in Washington triggered across-the-board spending cuts, known as the sequester, in March. As a result, the Pentagon was given six months to eliminate $41 billion from the current year’s budget, and unlike past cuts, this time...
50 min
133
The FDA's Caution Is Hazardous To Our Health
The Food and Drug Administration, the oldest comprehensive consumer protection agency in the U.S. federal government, is charged with protecting the public health. Under this mandate, it regulates drugs and medical devices for their safety and...
50 min
134
The GOP Must Seize The Center Or Die
2012 was a disappointing year for Republicans. The failure to win key swing states in the presidential election and surprising losses in the House and Senate have prompted some reflection. Was their embrace of small government, low taxes, and a strong...
50 min
135
Should The U.S. Abolish The Minimum Wage?
The first attempt at establishing a national minimum wage, a part of 1933’s sweeping National Industrial Recovery Act, was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1935. But in 1938, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
50 min
136
Does America Need A Strong Dollar Policy?
It’s often taken for granted that America needs a strong dollar. When the value of the U.S. dollar is strong relative to other currencies, it becomes attractive to investors and allows Americans to buy foreign goods and services...
50 min
137
Should We Prohibit Genetically Enginereed Babies?
Imagine a world free of genetic diseases, where parents control their offspring’s height, eye color and intelligence. The science may be closer than you think. Genes interact in ways that we don’t fully understand and there...
50 min
138
Can Israel Live With A Nuclear Iran?
Over the summer of 2012, despite increased international pressure and economic sanctions, Iran doubled the number of nuclear centrifuges installed in its underground Fordow site, stopping just short of the capacity to produce nuclear fuel. ...
50 min
139
Science Refutes God
Can science and religion co-exist?
50 min
140
Legalize Drugs
It was 1971 when President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs." $2.5 trillion dollars later, drug use is half of what it was 30 years ago, and thousands of offenders are successfully diverted to treatment instead of jail. And yet, 22 million...
50 min
141
Are The Rich Taxed Enough?
How can America's economy recover? By taxing the 1% or extending tax cuts to all?
50 min
142
Should The Government Ration End Of Life Care?
Just because we can extend life, should we? Two teams of debaters are arguing for and against this motion. The U.S. is expected to spend $2.8 trillion on health care in 2012. If health care is a scarce resource, limited by its availability and our...
50 min
143
Are Elected Islamists Better Than Dictators?
Reuel Marc Gerecht, Brian Katulis, Daniel Pipes and Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser debate the motion: "Better elected Islamists than dictators."
50 min
144
Are Super PACs Good For Democracy?
It's free speech versus possible corruption in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
145
The Natural Gas Boom: Doing More Harm Than Good?
Some people are embracing the wave of increased natural gas extraction in the United States. Others, concerned about the risks, are saying no fracking way. A panel of experts weighs the pros and cons of a boom sparked by hydraulic fracturing in the...
50 min
146
Should College Football Be Banned?
In recent years, college football programs have been hit by a series of scandals. And observers have long raised questions about the risks of head injuries. A panel of experts looks at the state of college football in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S.
50 min
147
Is The Internet Closing Our Minds Politically?
On the Internet, it's easy to find like-minded people and to frequent sites where you agree with the content. And algorithms are serving up more personalized search content. Are we running the risk of getting trapped in information bubbles? A panel of...
50 min
148
Does China Do Capitalism Better Than America?
As China experiments with its own form of state-run capitalism, the country has managed to maintain a strong economy while many Western countries are faltering. A team of experts faces off in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate on the motion,...
50 min
149
Is Obesity The Government's Business?
In the U.S., more than 78 million adults and 12 million children are obese, prompting some to argue that it's in the government's interest to combat the problem. But others say the government should stay away from people's personal habits. A group of...
50 min
150
Should The U.N. Grant Palestine Full Membership?
In the Intelligence Squared U.S. debate held Jan. 10, four experts on the Middle East face off on the motion "The U.N. Should Admit Palestine As A Full Member State." Could this approach help resolve or exacerbate the long-standing conflict between...
50 min
151
Would The World Be Better Off Without Religion?
A rabbi, a descendant of Charles Darwin, a philosopher and a scholar face off over religion in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
152
Should Congress Pass Obama's Jobs Bill In Pieces?
Supporters say if lawmakers do nothing, the U.S. economy may fall into another recession. But critics say the jobs package just recycles policies that have failed in the past. A group of experts argue the merits of the president's proposals in the...
50 min
153
Do Too Many Kids Go To College?
Getting a college degree is often touted as a way to increase your income and your ability to compete in the job market. But are too many unprepared students being pushed into taking on large amounts of debt? A team of experts faces off in the latest...
50 min
154
Do Grandma's Benefits Imperil Junior's Future?
The debate over entitlement programs has a generational component that can't be overlooked: Is helping seniors make ends meet only generating mountains of debt that will hamper future generations? A team of experts chewed over that topic in the latest...
50 min
155
Are Men Finished?
Last year, women made up the majority of the U.S. workforce for the first time ever. There are more women earning college degrees than men. Are women taking over the position of power in society, or are things just balancing out after years of male...
50 min
156
Is It Time To End The War On Terror?
Ten years after the Sept. 11 attacks and months after the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, is it time to move on? Or is it important to maintain the open-ended conflict? Experts take on the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
157
Does Freedom Of The Press Extend To State Secrets?
Does the public's right to know interfere with the government's ability to protect citizens? Four experts go head to head on the issue in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
158
Should We Stop Taking The World's Huddled Masses?
The U.S. is often referred to as a nation built by immigrants. But in recent years, the debate over the country's immigration laws has reached a boiling point. Do immigrants help the economy? Or do they take jobs away from Americans? Four experts...
50 min
159
Is It Time To Clip America's Global Wings?
As the United States grapples with a struggling economy and continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, some argue that it's time to scale back its role in the world. A team of experts discusses the pros and cons of this proposition in the latest...
50 min
160
Can Clean Energy Drive The Economic Recovery?
President Obama and other leaders have called for investment in cleaner energy sources as a way to create jobs and spur U.S. economic recovery. But can it really work? A team of experts takes on the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
161
Is The Two-Party System Making The U.S. Ungover...
Some argue that Americans have been locked into evaluating every issue through a prism of left and right. A team of experts tackles the topic in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
162
Should The Obama Health Care Law Be Repealed?
As Republicans now in control of the House move to repeal the new health care law, a team of experts takes on the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate
50 min
163
Should Airports Use Racial And Religious Profil...
The recent furor over screenings and pat-downs has catapulted airport security back into the spotlight. Should airports be targeting their limited resources differently? A team of experts examines the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S....
50 min
164
Is Afghanistan A Lost Cause?
After nearly a decade of fighting, Americans are still debating the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, its toll on the military and its financial cost. A team of experts goes head-to-head on the topic in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
165
Is Big Government Stifling The American Spirit?
On Oct. 26, a team of experts argued the issue "Big Government is Stifling the American Spirit" during the Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
166
Is Islam A Religion Of Peace?
That's how former President George W. Bush characterized it, but some take a different view. A panel of experts takes on the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
167
Are Terrorists Criminals Or Enemy Combatants?
Some view a law enforcement approach to terrorism as dangerous, while others argue that denying suspects the ability to defend themselves in court runs counter to American values. Four experts recently went head to head on the issue in the latest...
50 min
168
Has The Cyberwar Threat Been Exaggerated?
As succeeding presidential administrations and leaders in the Pentagon devote increasing resources to cybersecurity, some observers are questioning whether the threat of cyberwar has been overstated. A panel of experts debates the latest Intelligence...
50 min
169
Does Obama's Foreign Policy Spell America's Dec...
When it comes to foreign policy, some argue that President Obama is alienating the United States' allies as he seeks to make accommodations for nations with whom America has more uncertain relationships, such as China and Russia. And, they say, the...
50 min
170
Is Organic Food Stuffed Full Of Marketing Hype?
Is paying extra money for organic food worth it? Some argue that the label confers real value, while others claim that organic food has not been proven healthier and that it comes with its own environmental trade-offs. A panel of experts faces off on...
50 min
171
Are Teachers Unions To Blame For Failing Schools?
In the quest to remake America's public schools, teachers unions have frequently been blasted as an obstacle to improvement. But do unions really deserve more of the blame than shrinking budgets and other problems? A group of experts takes on that...
50 min
172
Should The U.S. Scale Back Relations With Israel?
Does the United States' special relationship with Israel come at too high a cost in the Middle East? A panel of experts takes on the question in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
173
Is California The First Failed State?
California is in the midst of a budget nightmare. Will the Golden State find a bailout, or has it become the first failed state of the union? A group of experts takes on the topic in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min
174
Is America To Blame For Mexico's Drug War?
In Mexico, thousands of people have died in drug-related violence in the past three years as the government has ramped up its war on drug cartels. But is the United States — with its market for illegal drugs and flow of guns south of the border —...
50 min
175
Are Obama's Economic Policies Working Effectively?
As the economy slowly begins to recover from the financial meltdown, should the Obama administration get credit for turning things around? Or has the administration failed to do what it takes to really help the economy? A panel of experts takes on the...
50 min
176
Good Riddance To Mainstream Media?
As newspapers go under, the network newscasts lose viewers and the mainstream media in general see more and more of their audience shift online, are we as a society better or worse off? A panel of experts debates.
50 min
177
Will 'Buy American' Policies Backfire?
"Buy American" provisions included in legislation such as President Obama's stimulus package have touched off a heated debate. A panel of experts argues whether they help or hurt the United States in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
50 min