In this episode, Doug and Chris solve all of problems facing democracies in a mere 32 minutes. It's all here - citizen engagement, gerrymandering, education, universal basic income, entitlements, etc., etc. Our cohosts also talk about how the United States could get back to doing Big Things as a country. World leaders, you are fools not to listen to this episode of The Big Life Questions Show podcast. 

2.00 Doug's starting point for the fix

6.30 Doing Big Things

12.25 Fixing entitlements

21.55 Citizenship and democracy 

26.15 Strengthening families

For those of you counting, it's been 1,010 days (and a few hours) since Trump took the oath of office. In this episode, Chris and Doug plunge into the topic of how - with a lot of help from Trump himself - America has managed to make great progress in ruining democracy in that short time. But don't despair - next week our cohosts will explain how to save it. 

1.45 Chris's Top 2 Points, Which are actually about 10 Points

5.50 The latest impeachment polls

6.45 Attacking all sources of truth

13.20 The role of money in politics

15.25 The breakdown of political norms

17.10 Lowering the public discourse

21.00 A hopeful note

Book link: How Democracies Die

In this episode, in the tradition of the Big Life Questions Show, we ponder the imponderable - what is the perfect age? Chris and Doug have radically different answers. They review the actual research on this question; trip over a short-list of benefits of getting older; and conclude with another shot at Trump.

1.00 Chris' answer to the question

4.45 Standing in line for gasoline

6.45 Doug's answer to the question

9.00 The upside of acceptance

10.20 At what age are people most happy?

14.15 The challenges of being in your 50s

Show Notes

In this episode, Doug and Chris tackle perhaps the ultimate Big Life Question - what is the secret to a good life? They also discuss what these secrets have meant in their own lives. In case that isn't enough, our cohosts cover in some detail the time period where Chris was living out of his car and in a tent. 

1.15 Staying true to yourself

2.40 Sardinia

3.35 Good Work & Purpose

6.00 Living out of your car

11.45 What to do with regrets

15.55 A sense of place

18.30 The Final 3 Secrets

Show Notes

As regular listeners know, The Big Life Questions Show does not believe President Trump will finish out his current term. But - just in case he does - as an important public service announcement, Doug and Chris disclose in this episode the list of countries each would consider moving to in the unfortunate event that the country abandons all semblance of reason. The cohosts also disclose the proprietary methodologies they used to arrive upon their choices. 

0.00 Chris's intro to this episode

3.20 Why Chris might move if Trump is re-elected

8.05 Research on the best countries to live in

9.40 Doug's big reveal of where he would move

17.40 Chris's dramatic reveal of his methodology and where he would move

25.43 The final lesson - "We have options"

Show Notes

This is an episode that everyone can relate to. Doug and Chris discuss the causes of burnout, with an emphasis on why the problem seems to be getting worse - and what we can do about it.

0.38 Burnout and lack of purpose

6.15 Burnout and frustration with things being out of control

9.10 Physician burnout

15.25 Burnout and wasted time

16.00 Burnout and financial stress

19.40 Possible solutions to burnout

A whistleblower! An impeachment inquiry! A self-incrimidating president! In this special edition of The Big Life Questions Show, Doug and Chris discuss whether Donald Trump will be able to survive the investigation into a detailed whistleblower complaint that paints a picture of a president willing to sell out his country to win reelection.

In keeping with the Big Life Questions Show theme, Doug and Chris ponder the essential questions about religion in this episode. They explore both the positive and the dark side of religions. They also disclose their own religious histories, including an experience Doug had that suggests a possible afterlife. In the end, the cohosts disagree on the question at hand - are we better off with or without religions?

1.10 Chris and Doug's religious backgrounds

5.25 Everybody has a right to their own beliefs

7.30 The benefits of a religious practice, according to Chris

11.08 Are religious people happier? Are they healthier?

16.15 Doug's spiritual experience

22.15 Is religion based on magical thinking?

22.55 Religion, wars and evil behavior

29.55 A final verdict (sort of) on the question

In this episode of The Big Life Questions Show, Chris and Doug tackle one the most polarizing and controversial issues of our time -- immigration. Our cohosts discuss immigration policies throughout the history of the United States, from the country's founding to the Trump Administration, as well as how immigration has changed the culture of the nation and influenced our politics. Doug and Chris also try to inject actual facts into the immigration conversation.

1.05 The facts about immigration and crime, job growth and the economy

6.05 Re-writing the poem on the Statue of Liberty

8.50 The history of immigration in America

11.20 Doug's radical view of immigration policy

14.50 The game-changer - The immigration act of 1965

18.45 Why do immigrants want to come in the first place?

25.45 Why were New Mexico and Hawaii denied statehood for a long time?

Links:

Coming to America, by Roger Daniels

In this episode, Doug and Chris explore why college is so expensive and why the market for higher education in the United States is broken in significant ways. They present important data on the magnitude of the problem, and talk through potential ways to make higher education more affordable. Finally, they discuss how Chris, as a father of three, personally feels about the college education cost dilemma. 

4.00 Differences in Per Capita income, high school versus college graduates

5.45 Tuition rate increases since 1973

8.00 Why the value proposition of a college degree is in question

8.40 How higher education, like healthcare, doesn't operate as a competitive economic market

15.35 How does Chris think about this topic as a father of three?

19.55 Are college teaching people the right things?

22.55 What could we as a society do about the high cost of college education?

Links:

Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost, Caitlin Zaloom