logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
31m 56s

90. If America Is a Train Wreck, Why Am ...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

Why do so many Americans say they’re satisfied with their own lives but upset about the way the country is going? Why don’t other countries experience the same gap? And what do horror movies have in common with Coca-Cola enemas?

Up next
Today
43. What Do We Really Learn From Failure?
Also: what is teasing supposed to accomplish? This episode originally aired on March 14, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
36m 45s
Oct 5
42. How Does When You Are Born Affect Who You Are?
Also: how did Angela do with her no-sugar challenge? This episode originally aired on March 7, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
38m 35s
Sep 28
41. Why Are We So Attracted to Fame?
Also: do we subconsciously lie about our major influences? This episode originally aired on February 28, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
35m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2017
Why Is The World Split Into Countries?
Why is all of the world split up into countries, states, cities and counties and more? Why can't we all just live as one big group? Which country has the least amount of people? We're talking about countries and borders with author Juan Enriquez. Also in this episode: why don't s ... Show More
24m 37s
Dec 2020
Trust Me (Ep. 266 Rebroadcast)
Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and elsewhere), social trust has been falling for decades — in part because our populations are more diverse. What can we do to fix it? 
30m 55s
Feb 2018
What are the Greatest Things We Just Learned about Japan?
Why is Japan's adult adoption rate so high? Why don't American car dealerships succeed in the country? And why did Colonel Sanders put a curse on a beloved Japanese baseball team? Plus, Will and Mango discover the shortest escalator in the world! (Just take the stairs, guys.) Lea ... Show More
36m 10s
Oct 2018
Fan Favorite: What are the Greatest Things We Just Learned about Japan?
Why is Japan's adult adoption rate so high? Why don't American car dealerships succeed in the country? And why did Colonel Sanders put a curse on a beloved Japanese baseball team? Plus, Will and Mango discover the shortest escalator in the world! (Just take the stairs, guys.) Lea ... Show More
36m 13s
Apr 2009
177 Why Are British English and American English Different?
Why Are British English and American English Different? 
6m 6s
Oct 2020
The Response USA: The return
As an election approaches in America, we return to a unique experiment which took the temperature of the USA after the surprise election of Donald Trump. In 2016 the BBC World Service, in association with American Public Media, focused on areas which the media had neglected – but ... Show More
51m 13s
Jun 2022
Why Americans Won’t Give an Inch on Metric
Harry goes the extra “yard” to find out why the United States is one of the few countries that hasn’t gone metric. Americans seem more than content in a hybrid world of liters AND gallons. Why can’t we choose one form of measurement? It turns out there’s a lot of national pride a ... Show More
40m 8s
Sep 2022
67. What Is Normal? How Culture Affects Communication Styles
Why do we drive on only one side of the road? Why don’t we sing in libraries? Why wear a swimsuit?For Professor Michele Gelfand, it all comes down to culture. As a cross-cultural psychologist, Gelfand is fascinated by social environments and their effects on human behavior, parti ... Show More
20m 20s
May 2022
Wie länger leben?
Warum leben Menschen in anderen Ländern teils deutlich länger als in Deutschland? Was läuft da besser? Was hält die Menschen dort gesünder? Dieser Podcast sucht im Ausland nach Ideen und möglichen Vorbildern. 
25m 9s