173 episodes

After the Fact is a podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you—from our environment and the sciences, to larger economic trends and public health. Experts from Pew and other special guests discuss the numbers and trends shaping some of society’s biggest challenges with host Dan LeDuc, then go behind the facts with nonpartisan analysis and stories.

After the Fact The Pew Charitable Trusts

    • Government

After the Fact is a podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you—from our environment and the sciences, to larger economic trends and public health. Experts from Pew and other special guests discuss the numbers and trends shaping some of society’s biggest challenges with host Dan LeDuc, then go behind the facts with nonpartisan analysis and stories.

    Housing in America: Pathways to Homeownership

    Housing in America: Pathways to Homeownership

    Stat: 70%: The share of Americans who think young adults today have a harder time than their parents’ generation when it comes to buying a home.
    Story: Putting a roof over their heads is a struggle for many Americans. Rising house prices, restrictive zoning, increasing rents, and a lack of small mortgages are some of the hurdles facing people who want a safe and secure place to call home.
    In this episode, Alex Horowitz and Tara Roche, directors of The Pew Charitable Trusts’ housing policy initiative, join us to discuss some of the challenges—and how to overcome them—for those pursuing homeownership.

    • 17 min
    Housing in America: Where Is Home?

    Housing in America: Where Is Home?

    Stat: 60%: The share of Americans who say they’re very concerned about the cost of housing.
     Story:  In just a few years, from 2019 to 2022, the national median sale price for a single-family home increased by 25%. And the rising costs of buying and maintaining a house has 60% of Americans concerned. Is the American Dream of homeownership out of reach for many?
    In this episode of “Housing in America,” Richard Fry, an expert at the Pew Research Center, talks about the current trends in housing, like where people live, housing availability, and homeownership rates, as well as other factors that contribute to the complex housing landscape that Americans face today.

    • 16 min
    Coming Soon: Housing in America

    Coming Soon: Housing in America

    Rising rents, escalating home prices, and limited housing supply. They are some of the forces pushing the American Dream of homeownership out of reach for many.
    Increasingly, there is bipartisan support to find a way forward. In this season, After the Fact explores these trends and the challenges individuals and families face in finding housing that’s affordable and accessible . We also speak with experts and policymakers who are trying to help more people find a place to call home.

    • 1 min
    Bonus Episode: Reflections on Bridging Divides

    Bonus Episode: Reflections on Bridging Divides

    Story: Over most of last year, “After the Fact” looked at how people are restoring and building community at a time when the nation is divided and exhausted. From faith leaders to community activists, and from academics to policymakers, we found rich voices who offered stories of people coming together. At a time of division, they showed that unity is possible—and, in fact, is happening in many places, probably even near you. As the new year begins, this special episode shares reflections from these change-makers and maybe even offers you a chance to become one of them.
     

    • 7 min
    Beyond Polarization: Finding a Way Forward

    Beyond Polarization: Finding a Way Forward

    Stat: 57%: The percentage of Americans who believe that partisan conflicts receive too much attention these days.
    Story: A majority of Americans say partisan fighting gets too much attention while important issues facing the country get too little. In the final episode of our season on polarization, Utah Governor Spencer Cox says elected officials can do better at bridging our political divides. He is chair of the National Governors Association and leads an initiative called Disagree Better* that is aimed not at ending disagreements, but in improving dialogue, building understanding, and respectfully listening to others. We also hear from Columbia University’s Peter T. Coleman about how we arrived at this level of polarization.
    *The Pew Charitable Trusts is a funder of the Disagree Better initiative.

    • 18 min
    Beyond Polarization: Talking It Out

    Beyond Polarization: Talking It Out

    Stat: 79%: The share of Americans who believe access to the internet and social media has made people more divided in their political opinions. 
    Story: Social media plays a significant role in society, but data shows that most Americans believe it negatively affects our democracy and contributes to polarization. In this episode of “Beyond Polarization,” we hear how high school senior Eli Tillemann is helping his classmates learn how to embrace diversity of opinions. We also speak with Heidi Hernandez Gatty from Dialectic, an organization that is working with students and others to help promote respectful dialogue.  

    • 20 min

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