The science behind why our politics got so insane (and what we can do about it)
This is a series about the fundamental principles of social and political life. If you’re looking for a rundown of “he-said,” “she-said” analyses, or a bunch of talking heads talking past each other on today’s top issues, you’re in the wrong place. Instead, we share some of the deepest social science findings behind how everything got so fucked. You’ll leave with a new lens to understand the news – and how to use it for good. It’s string theory for the midterm elections.
SHOW #1: Why Democracy is F*cked (and what to do about it)
We complain that our system is broken. While there are forces at work today that do make things more difficult, a mathematical theorem from long ago showed why a truly fair democracy is impossible. We learn why we’re imperfect and how to decide as a country what we really value.
SHOW #2: How We Got So Polarized (and what to do about it)
Polarization! We are obsessed with it. But it’s actually not all bad out there. We discuss the real evidence for polarization, why political views are so hard to change, and what all of this says for how we can stitch ourselves back together again where it counts.
SHOW #3: How We Got So Biased (and what to do about it)
Do we really talk about male and female candidates for office differently? Are white politicians and politicians of color judged differently for their performance? Yes, and yes. We learn the evidence for these biases, why we have them, and what to do about it.
SHOW #4: Why Voting is Irrational (and what to do about it)
Strip away the electoral college and the two-party system and voting still makes no sense. No one’s individual vote counts, really, but many people do it. Are we better than science thinks we are? What works for getting out the vote? And how do we keep discouragement at bay?
SHOW #5: Recent Topics (anything could happen)
We’ll go over the events of this election cycle and break it down! We can’t promise we can make it make sense, but we’ll put the most insane things into context, and give you an action plan.
This is a 5-event series leading up to the midterm elections: you can come to single events or get a series pass.
