"America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System" by Steven Brill.

Since its implementation, the Affordable Care Act, or ‘Obamacare,’ as it’s often called, has likely been the most polarizing and controversial piece of legislation passed. Thus far, the law has withstood a multitude of failed Republican attempts to repeal it and a severely botched rollout of the federal healthcare website. Whether or not the American healthcare system is better or worse off with Obamacare varies depending on who you ask, but many would agree that the U.S. healthcare system is still in need of work. In 2014, America’s total healthcare bill was $3 billion, which is more than the next ten biggest healthcare spending countries combined!

In his new book “America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System,” Steven Brill writes about the way the ACA was written, the way it was implemented, and how it would (or wouldn’t) change America’s healthcare system. Brill had chronicled some of the ways the U.S. healthcare system was being abused in an article he wrote for TIME Magazine in March of 2013 in which he examined medical bills, line by line. In the book, Brill combines his experience as a journalist and writer with his personal stories. In April of 2014, Brill was told he needed open-heart surgery and suddenly went from healthcare critic to a patient in need.

Brill joins AirTalk to discuss his book, his experience, and what has to be done to fix America’s healthcare system.

Guest:

Steven Brill, author of “America’s Bitter Pill” (January 5, 2015 - Random House). He won the 2014 National Magazine Award for Public Service for his article “Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us,” which appeared in TIME Magazine in March of 2013.

Michael Shermer contends that though religion was usually expected to keep moral order, it often resulted in some of the worst infringements of human rights the world has ever seen in his latest book.

For a significant portion of human history, society’s morals were derived from a variety of locations; each civilization had its own unique set of beliefs on important aspects of civic life. As a result, principles of equality and justice were often determined by unscientific beliefs rooted in revelation and tradition. In the book "The Moral Arc," author Michael Shermer contends that though religion was usually expected to keep moral order, it often resulted in some of the worst infringements of human rights the world has ever seen.

Shermer is no stranger to controversy, and as an adjunct professor at Claremont and Chapman Universities, he encourages his students to question what they’ve been told about human morality and how it holds up to scientific analysis. Now, in his newest publication, The Moral Arc, Shermer takes an in-depth look at the concept of an ever-expanding “moral sphere” of humanity that developed shortly after the Enlightenment period. He argues that, since this major paradigm shift, people have become considerate and caring, working harder to extend rights to and improve the living conditions of all people, and even animals.

Shermer joins Larry today to discuss how truth, justice and freedom are all byproducts of a more scientifically-minded society, and looks ahead to what the world of tomorrow can look like if the moral momentum continues.

Guest:

Michael Shermer, author of “The Moral Arc,” and adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University and Chapman University

A Lyft car drives next to a taxi on June 12, 2014 in San Francisco, California. The California Public Utilities Commission is cracking down on ride sharing companies like Lyft, Uber and Sidecar by issuing a warning that they could lose their ability to operate within the state if they are caught dropping off or picking up passengers at airports in California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is backing down from requiring drivers for “e-hail” services like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar to obtain commercial license plates after a firestorm of criticism. The DMV first brought up the policy in early January, citing a 1935 state law as justification.

But on Friday, the department had a change of mind, saying that the matter is now up for reconsideration.  “We jumped the gun, and we shouldn’t have,” a DMV official said in a statement. “The matter requires further review and analysis which the department is undertaking immediately.”

The financial implications would be enormous. E-hail drivers would need commercial insurance, for example, which is more of a hassle to get, particularly when most drivers are just part-timers. Some analysts say the commercial license plate requirement would be a huge roadblock for the e-hail industry. Should e-hail drivers be required to get commercial licenses?

Guests:

Carolyn Said , Business and technology reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle. She covers the so-called “sharing economy” for the paper. She tweets at @CSaid

William Rouse, general manager of Yellow Cab of Los Angeles and heads the taxi trade group, Taxicab Paratransit Association of California

Sunil Paul, CEO of Sidecar, a “e-hail” company founded in San Francisco, Calif.

Denali National Park Preserve in interior Alaska. The White House announced Sunday President Obama will propose to set aside more than 12 million acres in Alasaka's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, blocking future prospects of oil drilling in the region.

President Obama has proposed designating over 12 million acres of land in Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as “wilderness,” the highest level of protection that land can get from the federal government. The “wilderness” designation bans development such as drilling, mining, road construction, and construction of permanent structures. If codified into law, the President’s proposal would provide Alaska with over 70 million acres of land protected under the “Wildnerness” designation.

Yet as the land will temporarily gain those protections under the Department of the Interior, the protection cannot be finalized without consent from Congress, and Republicans are already strongly coming out against the President’s announcement. Specifically, the new Chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Republican Senator from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, has called the announcement “a stunning attack on [Alaska’s] sovereignty and our ability to develop a strong economy that allows  us, our children and our grandchildren to thrive.” Due to the new Republican control of both houses of Congress, most observers believe any legislation cementing the designation for that land to fail.

Other groups have fallen in traditional roles. For example, oil and gas groups have decried the President’s announcement, citing potential damage to Alaska’s economy and a bad signal to the rest of the industry, whereas environmental groups have applauded it, positing the protective benefits for ecosystems and endangered species.

What will be the effect of President Obama’s proposal? Where is the balance between protecting the environment and economic growth?

Guests:

Bob King, energy and environment editor for POLITICO

Lori Townsend, News Director, Alaska Public Media, based in Anchorage

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Des Moines, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 2011.; Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

It was a big weekend for Republican presidential hopefuls as they hunkered down in Iowa for Congressman Steve King and conservative advocacy group Citizens United’s  Freedom Summit, and then here in Palm Desert for the Koch brothers’ annual winter seminar, an invitation-only retreat for potential candidates. Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin, and Donald Trump all showed up in snowy Iowa to hash out priorities for the GOP agenda, which seemed to deemphasize immigration reform and boost a focus on Common Core.

Then Sunday, Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio were at the Koch seminar in Rancho Mirage to offer similar prescriptions for the middle class but diverge sharply on normalizing relations with Cuba and sanctions on Iran. Perhaps most telling was who did not attend either event, most notably former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who have both hinted at possible runs in 2016. Politicians at both events seemed to be making an effort to play nice and kept attacks largely focused on President Obama rather than one another.

But how are potential candidates differentiating themselves? And how will the GOP agenda evolve over the next year?

Guests:

Tarini Parti, political reporter for POLITICO.

Jonathan Allen, Washington D.C. Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News

The lectern stands empty as reporters await the arrival of Director of Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan for a press conference at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, December 11, 2014. ; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Jeffrey Sterling, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, was convicted Monday for leaking classified information about a secret operation to foil Iran’s nuclear program to a New York Times reporter.

Known as “Operation Merlin,” the covert mission tasked a Russian scientist with providing Iran with a deliberately flawed design plan for a nuclear weapon, in the hopes of sabotaging the country’s nuclear program. Sterling was found guilty for giving information about the program to New York Times reporter James Risen, who wrote about it in his 2006 book, “State of War.”

Supporters of Sterling call him a whistleblower, who voiced his concerns about Operation Merlin to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2003. But the Justice Department and the C.I.A said Sterling’s motivations weren’t noble, that he was driven by resentment over what he perceived was racial discrimination and his firing by the C.I.A.

Sterling will be sentenced in April.

What is a whistleblower? Should the designation be determined by someone’s motivations? Should Sterling be considered a whistleblower?

Guests:

Matt Apuzzo, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times who’s been covering the case and the trial

Richard Moberly, Professor of Law, University of Nebraska; Co-Editor of “The International Handbook on Whistleblower Research” (2014)

Information from the Parrot Pot by Parrot is displayed at the 2015 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The connected pot's automatic watering system delivers the exact amount of water at the right time for plants and has four sensors to measure sunlight, soil moisture, temperature and fertilizer levels and comes with a free App that provides expert advice on more than 8,000 plants.; Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Can you imagine a world in which everything in our daily lives is connected to the Internet? What if you could sit down at a piano and find out, with just a few button pushes, who had played that piano before you and what songs he or she had played? This idea of universal connectivity is often referred to as “The Internet of Things,” and it’s a notion that some say could be reality in the not-too-distant future. It was one of the biggest topics of discussion this year

Already, we’re seeing new products and technology emerging that are bringing us closer and closer to a completely connected world. Things like smartphones, smart watches, and even smart homes are already on the market and if this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was any indication, tech companies are salivating at the opportunity to take advantage of a new, and potentially very lucrative, market.

As awesome as it may sound to some to have a world that is constantly connected, others aren’t convinced it’s possible just yet. Concerns still exist about the actual technology it would require to have an “Internet of Things,” as well as the price and privacy of the technology. Others worry that many of these smart devices won’t actually make life more convenient for the users. On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission released a report saying that lawmakers need to pass rules that lay out when companies have to admit they’ve been hacked. It also gives manufacturers recommendations on how to protect the smart products they sell to consumers and encourages them to limit the amount of data they collect and retain on users. While the report doesn’t ask Congress to write legislation about the Internet of Things, it does begin to lay out what companies should be thinking about when designing and selling smart devices.

What is the Internet of Things as we understand it today and what role(s) could it play in society? Is there a point we reach at which humanity is too connected?  How close are we to the Internet of Things being a reality?

Guests:

John Barrett, Ph.D., head of academic studies at the Nimbus Centre for Embedded Systems Research at the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland.

Leah Lievrouw, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA, specializes in new media and social change.

"Night Will Fall"

Unlike the present when most Americans are aware of the Nazi concentration camps and the millions who were killed, very few Americans at the time had any idea of the camps despite the massive war effort on the part of the United States after 1941. After the camps were liberated from Nazi control, army filmmakers took extensive footage of Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Auschwitz, and others in an attempt to document what had happened.

Yet despite a serious attempt by prolific industry men such as Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Crossman to document the footage, particularly in a film entitled, "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey," the project never fully got off the ground. Without being widely seen, the footage has been held for decades, and it had even been put together with a commentary by Trevor Howard. Yet that project was also limited, and moreover the final reel of footage had not been included in the film.

Now, the footage will be released again, this time with narration by actress Helena Bonham Carter, behind-the-scenes interviews from Alfred Hitchcock and others, and the complete footage. Directed by Andre Singer, the film is called "Night Will Fall," and it will be released by HBO Documentary Films.

"Night Will Fall" will air tonight, January 27, on HBO2, in conjunction with a global event and telecast to commemorate international Holocaust Remembrance.

Guest:

Sally Angel, Producer, “Night Will Fall”

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck addresses the media at Police Headquarters in Los Angeles, California on October 20, 2014.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

If you’ve ever used Google’s GPS app “Waze” to help you get around, you’ve probably seen the feature it has that notifies you when a police officer has been reported along a roadway. Some members of the law-enforcement community are concerned that this feature could pose a safety threat to law-enforcement officers, and are urging Google to turn off that feature.

Waze combines social networking with GPS to inform users of traffic congestion in real time. Users can also report in when they see a police officer on the road and specify whether the officer was visible or hidden, and then other users can then confirm or deny that officer’s existence at that location. For drivers, it sounds like a great way to make sure you don’t get pulled over (assuming user reports are accurate), but for others in the policing community, it’s no more than a way for would-be criminals to stalk police activity. Even LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has weighed in on the issue, writing a letter to Google’s CEO at the end of December saying that the app could be “misused by those with criminal intent to endanger police officers and the community.”

Guests:

Tim Williams, founder of TT Williams Investigations, a private investigation firm in Los Angeles; Retired LAPD Senior Detective Supervisor (Robbery-Homicide Division), 1974-2003; Expert on police procedure and use-of-force for state and federal court

Commander Andy Smith, Media Relations and Community Affairs Group, LAPD

Philip Stinson, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Program, Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He is a former police officer.

Elderly woman on a swing.; Credit: Orchid_Mine/Flickr

In a thought-provoking article, writer Emily Yoffe asks, "When terrible, abusive parents come crawling back, what do their grown children owe them?"

Psychologists are torn on the matter -- not just because each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way -- rather because scant research has been done on the subject despite the pervasiveness of child abuse and abusers.

If you have faced this issue in your family, how did you make your decision? Is there any way to know in advance whether it will cause more harm than good?

Guest:

Janice Kinter, Licensed family and marriage therapist based in West LA

; Credit: Brian Indrelunas/Flickr

It was a powerful statement for LA residents who feel powerless: A city council committee voted 4-to-1 for the incumbent against a new operator for the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park.

A Department of Recreation and Parks committee had unanimously recommended the company Live Nation over the present operator, Nederlander, but Los Feliz-area residents fought the recommendation, and were heard. In the end Nederlander joined forces with AEG to try to hold on.

The full council now takes it up. Similarly, Boyle Heights residents staved off a $49-million shopping center project at Mariachi Plaza. They didn't like the design, and sent it back to the drawing board.

Are these examples of neighborhood groups growing in political clout? And what are the implications for other neighborhood groups?

Guests:

Richard Close, President, Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

Dave Brooks, Founder of Amplify, a new-media company in the events business. He was at the council committee meeting yesterday.

Fans of the St. Louis Rams hold a "Los Angeles Rams" sign against the San Diego Chargers during their NFL Game on November 23, 2014 in San Diego, California.; Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images

The discussion over whether to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles is one that has been going on for years.

Despite coming close with plans to build stadiums in the City of Industry and on an AEG development in Downtown L.A., ultimately neither of them came through. However, developers with the Hollywood Park Land Company submitted nearly three times the required number of signatures for a voter initiative, moving the construction of an NFL stadium in Inglewood one step closer to reality.

While this is certainly good news if you’re a proponent of the stadium, nothing is set in stone. The signatures must first be verified, then the Inglewood City Council can review the measure. Developers hope that there will be a special election held sometime before the start of the next NFL season in September. A project manager with the Hollywood Park Land Company told KPCC that, if approved, construction would begin on the stadium regardless of whether a team moves here. St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke had been vocal this past season about moving the Rams to L.A., and has reportedly told Inglewood’s mayor on more than one occasion that he’s going to move the Rams with or without the NFL’s consent.

How bad do L.A. residents really want an NFL stadium, even if a team isn’t moving here? What are the pros and cons of building the stadium? How does the opportunity to host a Super Bowl again factor in to the discussion?

We're taking your calls!

In this undated image provided by the U.S. Army, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl poses in front of an American flag. U.S. officials say Bergdahl, the only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan, was exchanged for five Taliban commanders being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to published reports. Bergdahl is in stable condition at a Berlin hospital, according to the reports. ; Credit: U.S. Army/Getty Images

Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, says Army General Mark Milley will make the final call on whether to criminally charge Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Kirby said there are a range of charges that could face the soldier who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years before being released in a prisoner exchange. NBC and Fox News, citing unnamed sources, reported yesterday that Bergdahl will face the most severe charge of desertion which is punishable by death - though only one service member has been executed for desertion since the Civil War. Bergdahl's lawyer could also argue the soldier intended to return to base but was captured.

How tough would it be to prove a desertion case in a court-martial? Even with a lesser charge, Bergdahl could lose his health benefits, including mental health care. Would that be just? What political dynamics are at play?

Guests:

Rachel VanLandingham, Lt. Colonel (Ret’d., U.S. Air Force); Former U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate (2000-2012); From 2006-2010, legal advisor for international law at Headquarters, U.S. Central Command, where she advised on operational and international legal issues related to the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq; Associate Professor, Southwestern Law School in LA

Geoffrey Corn, Lt. Colonel (Ret'd., U.S. Army); Former Army Judge Advocate (1992-2004); 2004-2005, Special Assistant to The Judge Advocate General for Law of War Matters and Chief of the Law of War Branch, Office of The Judge Advocate General; Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law  

"Superbowl Veg-Out"; Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr

The countdown to Super Bowl Sunday is on and while some are gearing up for the football game itself, others are just excited for the commercials. This year, several companies released teasers or even full versions of ads they plan to air during the game.

One of these was from GoDaddy.com, a company that sells domain names and sparks yearly discussion over their often controversial Super Bowl commercials. After releasing a preview of one ad slated to run during the big game, GoDaddy announced yesterday that it would not air the commercial because of backlash from animal rights activists. Titled, “Journey Home,” the commercial shows a lost puppy’s journey to reunite with its family, only to find out upon returning that the family sold the puppy on a website they created with GoDaddy.

How does viewer outrage factor in to the campaign for attention? Do people really get offended by content in TV ads?

Guests:

Rama Yelkur, Ph.D., Dean and Professor at the College of Business and Management at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan.

Anita Newton, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Adknowledge, a digital advertising technology company that focuses on video advertising.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Los Angeles at sunset.; Credit: Chris Goldberg/Flickr

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held a rare news confference yesterday to announce their support for some specific legal protections for Gay men and Lesbians.

The church is promising to support some housing and job protections for gays and lesbians in exchange for legal protections for believers who object to the behavior of others. At the same time, the church argued that religious people should be exempted from having to follow those laws if they conflict with their beliefs. The move comes six years after the church provided big financial support for passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in CA.

The church is still anti-same sex marriage, but what does this move mean to Mormons here in California, where the church counts its second-largest membership with nearly 800-thousand members? How much clout do Southland Mormons have with the leadership in Salt Lake? And what do California LDS members think of this move?

Guests:

Patrick Q. Mason, Chair of Mormon Studies and Associate Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University

Mitch Mayne, openly gay Mormon living in San Francisco, California

"hGraph v.01 UI: Your health in one picture"; Credit: Juhan Sonin via Flickr

Cheap, fast, thorough, easy are not words one typically associates with the U.S. health care system.

But Dr. Eric Topol, cardiologist and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, Calif., says that medicine can be all of those things in the near future.

Mobile technology, Topol argues, will democratize medicine, giving consumers unprecedented control over their care. He details in his new book, “The Patient Will See You now,” a world where you could use your smartphone to get a blood test and better and more accurate diagnosis is made possible by crowd-source medicine and new technology.

Guest:

Dr. Eric J. Topol, M.D., a cardiologist, professor of genomics and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California. He is the author of “The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands” (Basic Books, 2015)

Los Angeles City Hall. ; Credit: Alice Walton/KPCC

Controversy continues to follow a vote by a City Council committee this week to re-up the Nederlander Organization as the operator of the historic and city-owned Greek Theatre.

While Nederlander (now Nederlander-AEG) had managed the theatre for four decades, an independent commission of experts had determined in October that Live Nation would be the better choice for the venue as it would spend more money on renovations. Yet both companies have undertaken extensive lobbying, and the City Council committee’s vote reverses the independent commission’s decision.

Whereas the initial controversy came from Live Nation’s ability to upend Nederlander-AEG as the managing organization after four decades at the helm, the new contention comes from what is seen as an opaque and unaccountable decision from the City Council. Critics of the decision have accused the Council of not providing adequate explanation for why this alternative decision would be better for the theatre. On the other side, vocal residents and neighbors of The Greek are celebrating yesterday’s move, after weeks of rallying for Nederlander

Today, the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board published an article in which they hired an outside firm to analyze the options facing the City Council. The firm brought in industry experts, who concluded that Live Nation would be the better choice.

While the Times Editorial Board has put its hat into the ring, there is still a chance that another vote could come in front of the entire City Council.

Did the City Council act without transparency and accountability for this vote? Would Nederlander-AEG be a better manager for the Greek Theatre than Live Nation? Will this vote change your experience of and at the venue?

Guest:

Joe Berchtold, Chief Operating Officer, Live Nation

California law says children must be immunized in order to attend childcare.; Credit: Photo by Sanofi Pasteur via Flickr Creative Commons

The recent measles outbreak in California has turned a lot of attention toward school children who aren’t vaccinated because of their families’ personal beliefs. But there are also a surprising number of children who enter school under-vaccinated. State law requires that kids be fully-vaccinated before starting Kindergarten, but exceptions can be made. Kids can be enrolled as “conditional entrants,” with the understanding that they will get fully-vaccinated. Families then have 10 days to show proof of immunization or the child must be kept out of class.

But as it turns out, this isn’t enforced. LAUSD’s director of nursing services tells KPCC that no students are barred from entering class and that their department lacks the resources necessary to keep track of which children have been fully-vaccinated and which haven’t. Many of the parents of the children who are under-vaccinated say it’s not that they have personal beliefs that prevent them from vaccinating their child, but rather logistics and life, in general, can get in the way.

Where does responsibility fall in making sure students are fully vaccinated?

For the full story click here

Guests:

Rebecca Plevin, KPCC health reporter

Sen. Richard Pan, pediatrician and California State Senator serving the 6th district, which covers Sacramento, Elk Grove, and West Sacramento

Pamela Kahn, registered nurse, Health and Wellness Coordinator for Orange County Department of Education

Building 205, pictured here, sits vacant. It was designated as future housing for disabled homeless veterans in 2007.; Credit: Nancy Pastor for NPR

The VA has agreed to create housing for thousands of Southern California homeless veterans.  Many of them will live at the West LA VA campus. It's a deal reached with plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the government nearly four years ago.

They contended the nearly 400-acre site wasn't being used for its legal and intended purpose - housing and caring for homeless vets. Will this make it possible by year's end to find housing for all the approximately 4,000 homeless vets in LA County? And what will happen to the commercial renters on the property, as well as UCLA's use of the baseball field and Brentwood School's use of athletic facilities?

For the full story click here

Guests:

Robert McDonald, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He is the retired Chairman, President, and CEO of Procter & Gamble

Ron Olson, partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. He’s been working on this settlement. He also holds the honorary title of Lifetime Trustee for Southern California Public Radio

Toni Reinis, Former Executive Director of New Directions - an organization that offers housing, counseling, training, drug abuse treatment and more to veterans in LA County.

The main causes of workplace related stress are juggling work and personal lives, lack of job security, workload management and issues with co-workers. (Source: EAP provider ComPsych StressPulse survey, 2005). ; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Is creativity sacred? Should and could it be policed? Those are questions we’ve been grappling with in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks and, to a lesser degree, the Sony hack tied to the comedy, “The Interview.”

The debate touches upon issues of free speech and creative freedom, with defenders arguing that artists and cultural workers should be given carte blanche to do what they want, and our culture’s obsession with political correctness has taken all the fun out of the creative process.

A group of academics have taken that line of reasoning to task in the context of the workplace. As U.S. companies seek to attract a more diverse workforce, these researchers set up an experiment to look at whether political correctness impedes or unlocks creativity. Their study will soon be published in the journal, Administrative Science Quarterly.

Guest:

Jennifer A Chatman, Professor of Management at UC Berkeley. She is one of the lead authors of the study, “Creativity from Constraint? How Political Correctness Influences Creativity in Mixed-Sex Work Groups,” which was published in the journal Administrative Science Quarterly.