Before we get to today’s episode, check out this article about the Connors Institute in The Sentinel newspaper!

On this episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcastwe are joined by Robert VerBruggen from the Manhattan Institute to discuss a new documentary which claims to disprove that George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin, as well as a new research study which claims to disprove that income inequality in the U.S. has been rising since the 1960s.

The documentary in question, The Fall of Minneapolis, was produced by Alpha News, an organization that has a history of low-quality journalism that is often inaccurate, biased, and misleading. Podcast host Lawrence Eppard and guest Robert VerBruggen will discuss the claims in the documentary and why they fall short.

They also discuss a new and important research study which calls into question whether income inequality has really been rising since the 1960s like we have all been led to believe. While this new paper does not completely disprove the argument that inequality has in fact been increasing, it raises serious concerns about how certain we can be about the dominant narrative that inequality has been rising out of control.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE email newsletter in just one click!

Episode Audio:
"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive)
"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)
"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)
“Happy Trails (To You)” by the Riders in the Sky (used with artist’s permission)

Before we get to today’s episode, check out <a href="https://cumberlink.com/opinion/editorial/guest-editorial-new-ship-u-institute-tackles-misinformation-from-right-and-left/article_e3de9bea-ae59-11ee-9157-0ffa8c3406a2.html">this article</a> about the Connors Institute in The Sentinel newspaper!
On this episode of the <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate Podcast</a> we are joined by <a href="https://manhattan.institute/person/robert-verbruggen">Robert VerBruggen</a> from the Manhattan Institute to discuss a new documentary which claims to disprove that George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin, as well as a <a href="https://davidsplinter.com/AutenSplinter-Tax_Data_and_Inequality.pdf">new research study</a> which claims to disprove that income inequality in the U.S. has been rising since the 1960s.
The documentary in question, The Fall of Minneapolis, was produced by Alpha News, an organization that has a history of low-quality journalism that is often inaccurate, biased, and misleading. Podcast host Lawrence Eppard and guest Robert VerBruggen will discuss the claims in the documentary and why they fall short.
They also discuss a <a href="https://davidsplinter.com/AutenSplinter-Tax_Data_and_Inequality.pdf">new and important research study</a> which calls into question whether income inequality has really been rising since the 1960s like we have all been led to believe. While this new paper does not completely disprove the argument that inequality has in fact been increasing, it raises serious concerns about how certain we can be about the dominant narrative that inequality has been rising out of control.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our <a href="https://connorsinstitute.substack.com/">FREE email newsletter</a> in just one click!
<hr>
Episode Audio:
<ul>
<li>"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>“Happy Trails (To You)” by <a href="https://www.ridersinthesky.com/">the Riders in the Sky</a> (used with artist’s permission)</li>
</ul>

The Utterly Moderate Podcast is the official podcast of Connors Institute for Nonpartisan Research and Civic Engagement at Shippensburg University.

The core mission of the Connors Institute is to disseminate high-quality nonpartisan information to the public.

Utterly Moderate is hosted by Lawrence Eppard, a researcher, university professor, and director of the Connors Institute. On each episode, Eppard is joined by a guest (or two or three!) who helps listeners understand important topics by focusing on just the weight of the empirical evidence and none of the unneeded opinions or political agendas. We are aggressively nonpartisan in our approach.

Be sure to visit us at ConnorsInstitute.org to learn more about all that we do!

The <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate Podcast</a> is the official podcast of <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">Connors Institute for Nonpartisan Research and Civic Engagement at Shippensburg University</a>.
The core mission of the Connors Institute is to disseminate high-quality nonpartisan information to the public.
Utterly Moderate is hosted by Lawrence Eppard, a researcher, university professor, and director of the Connors Institute. On each episode, Eppard is joined by a guest (or two or three!) who helps listeners understand important topics by focusing on just the weight of the empirical evidence and none of the unneeded opinions or political agendas. We are aggressively nonpartisan in our approach.
Be sure to visit us at <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">ConnorsInstitute.org</a> to learn more about all that we do!

Utterly Moderate Podcast

The <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate Podcast</a> is the official podcast of <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">Connors Institute for Nonpartisan Research and Civic Engagement at Shippensburg University</a>.
The core mission of the Connors Institute is to disseminate high-quality nonpartisan information to the public.
Utterly Moderate is hosted by Lawrence Eppard, a researcher, university professor, and director of the Connors Institute. On each episode, Eppard is joined by a guest (or two or three!) who helps listeners understand important topics by focusing on just the weight of the empirical evidence and none of the unneeded opinions or political agendas. We are aggressively nonpartisan in our approach.
Be sure to visit us at <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">ConnorsInstitute.org</a> to learn more about all that we do!

New George Floyd Documentary (w/Robert VerBruggen)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Connors Institute at Shippensburg University!

Since this Utterly Moderateepisode is both our Christmas program and our 100th PODCAST EPISODE, we thought we would try to be as uplifting as possible.

In that spirit, we are being joined by Johan Norberg, author of a number of books including Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future. 

In that book, Norberg presents extensive data documenting how the world has gotten much better over the centuries across several measures, including freedom, life expectancy, poverty, violence, hunger, sanitation, the environment, literacy, and more.

The book helps us not only to avoid being so doom and gloom about the state of the world, but to identify the reasons why we have made so much progress in the first place, avoid derailing those efforts, and help us build on them for a better tomorrow.

Enjoy this conversation, and very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER in one click at ConnorsInstitute.org.

Episode Audio:


"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive)


"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)
"Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel (Free Music Archive)
"Silent Night" by Piper Kull (used with artist's permission)
"O Holy Night" by Piper Kull (used with artist's permission)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Connors Institute at Shippensburg University!
Since this <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate</a> episode is both our Christmas program and our 100th PODCAST EPISODE, we thought we would try to be as uplifting as possible.
In that spirit, we are being joined by <a href="https://www.johannorberg.net/">Johan Norberg</a>, author of a number of books including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Reasons-Look-Forward-Future/dp/1786070650">Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future</a>. 
In that book, Norberg presents extensive data documenting how the world has gotten much better over the centuries across several measures, including freedom, life expectancy, poverty, violence, hunger, sanitation, the environment, literacy, and more.
The book helps us not only to avoid being so doom and gloom about the state of the world, but to identify the reasons why we have made so much progress in the first place, avoid derailing those efforts, and help us build on them for a better tomorrow.
Enjoy this conversation, and very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
Sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER in one click at <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">ConnorsInstitute.org</a>.
<hr>
Episode Audio:
<ul>
<li>
"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)
</li>
<li>
"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)
</li>
<li>"Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>"Silent Night" by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-331807049">Piper Kull</a> (used with artist's permission)</li>
<li>"O Holy Night" by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-331807049">Piper Kull</a> (used with artist's permission)</li>
</ul>

The Good Old Days Are Now (w/Johan Norberg and Piper Kull)

Jim Swift from The Bulwarkjoins the Utterly Moderate Podcast to discuss the fraught nature of the immigration debate in the U.S.

Both sides in the immigration debate have important points to bring to the table, and good faith discussions and compromises are badly needed. Unfortunately, such efforts often get sidetracked by misinformation and disinformation about this thorny issue.

Swift discusses a story of his that had a number of important issues—legal immigration, unauthorized immigration, and disinformation—all wrapped into one.

Enjoy the conversation! And don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER in just one click at ConnorsInstitute.org!

Episode Audio:


"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive)
"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)
"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)


“Happy Trails (To You)” by the Riders in the Sky (used with artist’s permission)

Jim Swift from <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/">The Bulwark</a> joins the <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate Podcast</a> to discuss the fraught nature of the immigration debate in the U.S.
Both sides in the immigration debate have important points to bring to the table, and good faith discussions and compromises are badly needed. Unfortunately, such efforts often get sidetracked by misinformation and disinformation about this thorny issue.
Swift discusses <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/the-bogus-protest-the-house-race-and-the-maga-grocer/">a story of his</a> that had a number of important issues—legal immigration, unauthorized immigration, and disinformation—all wrapped into one.
Enjoy the conversation! And don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER in just one click at <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">ConnorsInstitute.org</a>!
<hr>
Episode Audio:
<ul>
<li>
"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)
</li>
<li>"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>
“Happy Trails (To You)” by <a href="https://www.ridersinthesky.com/">the Riders in the Sky</a> (used with artist’s permission)
</li>
</ul>

Jim Swift on Immigration, Disinformation, Dog Birthdays, and More!

Leading American poverty researcher Mark Robert Rank joins the Utterly Moderate Podcastto discuss his Poverty Risk Calculator, the record-low poverty rates that the U.S. saw in 2021, Dr. Rank’s research on the risk Americans face of experiencing poverty throughout their lives, a new book he has coming out on luck, and more!

Rank has spent his career studying poverty, economic inequality, and social policy in America and teaching about these topics at Washington University in St. Louis, where he has been a faculty member since 1985.

Much of his research has focused on the life course risk of poverty in America. Using data from hundreds of thousands of Americans taken from a longitudinal study that began in the 1960s, Dr. Rank and his research collaborators have been able to estimate the likelihood that the average American will experience poverty at some point in their lives.

This research shows that around 59% of Americans will experience at least one year under the official poverty line at some point in their lives.

While Rank has published his research findings in a number of academic articles and books over the years, it occurred to him that it might be possible to use this body of poverty research in order to develop a tool that would allow individuals to estimate their own risk of poverty.

The idea is similar to a doctor’s ability to predict your risk of heart disease. Using several pieces of information (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), your doctor can make a reasonable estimate of your chances of having a heart attack in the next decade. These numbers are based on statistical patterns derived from a very large sample of families that make up the Framingham Heart Study, the longitudinal study of cardiovascular health that began in 1948.

Could this be done with poverty data? Working with his colleagues over the course of hundreds of hours of programming and designing, Rank developed the Poverty Risk Calculator. You can try it for yourself.

Using the calculator, individuals enter background information on five dimensions (age, race, gender, education, and marital status), and receive a 5-, 10-, and 15-year probability that they will experience at least one year of poverty during these time periods. Individuals can also calculate their odds of experiencing near-poverty and extreme poverty.

The calculator is designed so that individuals can also easily compare their profile with others’ side-by-side in the same graph to examine how the risk of poverty varies by different characteristics. The impact of each variable is profound, and one can readily see how poverty is affected by, for example, changes to one’s race, education, or marital status. This allows users to observe the impact of key social dimensions on life chances. Try it for yourself and see how even a single change can drastically alter your personal risk of poverty.

By utilizing the calculator you can see that the risk of poverty for many Americans is significant. While the likelihood of poverty may be low during any single year, across multiple years, individuals observe that their risk can rise substantially. 

Visit us at CONNORSINSTITUTE.ORG and sign up for our free newsletter!

Episode Audio:


"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive)
"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)
"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)


“Happy Trails (To You)” by the Riders in the Sky (used with artist’s permission)

Leading American poverty researcher Mark Robert Rank joins the <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/podcast">Utterly Moderate Podcast</a> to discuss his <a href="https://confrontingpoverty.org/poverty-risk-calculator/">Poverty Risk Calculator</a>, the record-low poverty rates that the U.S. saw in 2021, Dr. Rank’s research on the risk Americans face of experiencing poverty throughout their lives, a new book he has coming out on luck, and more!
Rank has spent his career studying poverty, economic inequality, and social policy in America and teaching about these topics at <a href="https://sociology.wustl.edu/people/mark-rank">Washington University in St. Louis</a>, where he has been a faculty member since 1985.
Much of his research has focused on the life course risk of poverty in America. Using data from hundreds of thousands of Americans taken from a <a href="https://psidonline.isr.umich.edu/">longitudinal study</a> that began in the 1960s, Dr. Rank and his research collaborators have been able to estimate the likelihood that the average American will experience poverty at some point in their lives.
<a href="https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2936&amp;context=jssw">This research shows</a> that around 59% of Americans will experience at least one year under the official poverty line at some point in their lives.
While Rank has published his research findings in a number of academic <a href="https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2936&amp;context=jssw">articles</a> and <a href="https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/one-nation-underprivileged-9780195101683?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">books</a> over the years, it occurred to him that it might be possible to use this body of poverty research in order to develop a tool that would allow individuals to estimate their own risk of poverty.
The idea is similar to a doctor’s ability to predict your risk of heart disease. Using several pieces of information (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), your doctor can make a reasonable estimate of your chances of having a heart attack in the next decade. These numbers are based on statistical patterns derived from a very large sample of families that make up the <a href="https://framinghamheartstudy.org/">Framingham Heart Study</a>, the longitudinal study of cardiovascular health that began in 1948.
Could this be done with poverty data? Working with his colleagues over the course of hundreds of hours of programming and designing, Rank developed the Poverty Risk Calculator. <a href="https://confrontingpoverty.org/poverty-risk-calculator/">You can try it for yourself</a>.
Using the calculator, individuals enter background information on five dimensions (age, race, gender, education, and marital status), and receive a 5-, 10-, and 15-year probability that they will experience at least one year of poverty during these time periods. Individuals can also calculate their odds of experiencing near-poverty and extreme poverty.
The calculator is designed so that individuals can also easily compare their profile with others’ side-by-side in the same graph to examine how the risk of poverty varies by different characteristics. The impact of each variable is profound, and one can readily see how poverty is affected by, for example, changes to one’s race, education, or marital status. This allows users to observe the impact of key social dimensions on life chances. <a href="https://confrontingpoverty.org/poverty-risk-calculator/">Try it for yourself</a> and see how even a single change can drastically alter your personal risk of poverty.
By utilizing the calculator you can see that the risk of poverty for many Americans is significant. While the likelihood of poverty may be low during any single year, across multiple years, individuals observe that their risk can rise substantially. 
Visit us at <a href="https://connorsinstitute.org/">CONNORSINSTITUTE.ORG</a> and sign up for our free newsletter!
<hr>
Episode Audio:
<ul>
<li>
"Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)
</li>
<li>"Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>"Last Dance" by Jahzzar (<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/">Free Music Archive</a>)</li>
<li>
“Happy Trails (To You)” by <a href="https://www.ridersinthesky.com/">the Riders in the Sky</a> (used with artist’s permission)
</li>
</ul>

New George Floyd Documentary (w/Robert VerBruggen)

In 1 playlist(s)

Utterly Moderate Podcast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips