The Argument For Splitting Up Big States, Police Accountability, Why Didn’t The U.S. Ever Adopt The Metric System?

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Some argue that big states like California or Texas should be split up to increase efficiency and accountability of their government. We talk to someone in favor of splitting up big states. Then we talk with Michael Bell, whose son was shot and killed by a police officer ten years ago. He pushed for increased police accountabily in Wisconsin, and thinks other states should do the same. We also learn about the origins of measurement systems–and why the U.S. never adopted the metric system.

Featured in this Show

  • The Argument For Splitting Up Big States

    Our guest makes that case that big states should be split up to increase the efficiency and accountability of their governments.

  • Michael Bell On Police Accountability In Wisconsin And Beyond

    Ten years ago, Michael Bell’s son was shot and killed by a police office in Kenosha. Since then, he’s worked to pass a law in Wisconsin requiring an outside agency to handle investigations of police-related deaths. In light of the events in Ferguson, he talks about his story, and the need for increased police accountability accross the nation.

  • The Origins Of Measurement Systems, And Why The US Didn't Go Metric

    American measurement systems can seem bizarre to the rest of the world. An author talks about how we ended up with measurements like inches and feet…and never adopted the metric system.

Episode Credits

  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Cynthia Schuster Host
  • Michael Lind Guest
  • Michael Bell Guest
  • John Bemelmans Marciano Guest
  • Chris Malina Producer