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Open to Debate

Open to Debate
Donald Trump
China
Israel
United States
Mental Health
Artificial Intelligence
Iran
Tiktok
Republican Party
Free Speech
Democratic Party
Russia
Democracy
Public Health
Climate Change
First Amendment
Ukraine
Hamas
Joe Biden
Feminism

America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Open to Debate offers an antidote to the chaos. We bring multiple perspectives together for real, nonpartisan debates. Debates that are structured, respectful, clever, provocative, and driven by the facts. Open to Debate is on a mission to restore balance to the public square through expert moderation, good-faith arguments, and reasoned ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes469Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

Forget "happily ever after." As marriage and birth rates fall, young adults have less sex, and assumptions about love and commitment are being challenged. In this episode of “Generational Divides,” Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie brings togethe... more

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding in June, the U.S. and Iran entered a delicate peace. As negotiators worked toward a permanent deal, one question loomed: Who won the war in Iran — Tehran or Trump? Hours after we concluded a debate on that ... more

As a bonus, today we’re sharing a special episode of The Blessings of Liberty, a new podcast from Open to Debate debater Jeffrey Rosen and our friends at FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. In celebration of America’s 250th ann... more

As the Iran war reshapes the Middle East and raises new questions about America’s role in the world, Danielle Pletka and Julia Ioffe join moderator-in-chief John Donvan at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival for a debate-esque conversation on U.S. foreign... more

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Recent Guests

Julia Ioffe
Founding partner at PUC; Washington correspondent
PUC
Episode: World on the Brink?
Danielle Pletka
Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; teaches U.S. Middle East policy
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: World on the Brink?
Joanna Chiu
Managing partner at Nüora Global Advisors; former investigative journalist who lived in China
Nüora Global Advisors
Episode: Is It Ethical To Cooperate With Chinese State Institutions To Secure Incremental Change?
Isaac Stone Fish
CEO and founder of Strategy Risks; author of America Second
Strategy Risks
Episode: Is It Ethical To Cooperate With Chinese State Institutions To Secure Incremental Change?
Lenore Skenazy
Boomer, co-founder of Let Grow
Let Grow
Episode: Generational Divides with Nick Gillespie: Are the Parents Alright?
Reshma Saujani
Gen Xer, founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code
Moms First; Girls Who Code
Episode: Generational Divides with Nick Gillespie: Are the Parents Alright?
Kristin Gallant
Millennial, co-founder of Big Little Feelings
Big Little Feelings
Episode: Generational Divides with Nick Gillespie: Are the Parents Alright?
Laura Taylor-Kale
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
U.S. Department of Defense
Episode: Government as Shareholder: Proactive Competitive Strategy or Last Resort?
Richard Falkenrath
Former counter-terrorism official and CFR fellow
Center for a New American Security / CFR
Episode: Government as Shareholder: Proactive Competitive Strategy or Last Resort?

Host

John Donvan
Host of Open to Debate with a long-running role moderating and guiding discussions across topics.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 2.8k ratings
  • Great show but…

    Enough with the reruns. There should be many engaging topics to discuss that can help you avoid posting the same debate twice within a year.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    consumer1156
    United Statesa month ago
  • Intellectually stimulating & well organized and moderated...!

    Intellectually stimulating & well organized and moderated...!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shel Lynn
    United States4 months ago
  • The most valuable podcast in America

    John Donvan is extraordinary as a moderator. The guaranteed thing we will takeaway when well qualified debaters take each other on in a respectful manner is just how nuanced and complex the issues are. Something our political climate would never admit.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dklc
    United States7 months ago
  • You couldn’t find a better boomer than Joe Nocera??

    As a 73 year old, I’ve heard a lot of quibbling, interrupting, know-it-all curmudgeons. Put Nocera in a rocking chair on the porch to yell at passersby, but please, no more debates.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    No props 4 neurotic rich..
    United States8 months ago
  • Open to Debate = Liberals and Leftists vs. Liberal Republicans

    I have listened to this for years and rarely is there a true conservative on here. Most times I see a conservative, it’s one of the “I’m a conservative, BUT obviously I hate Trump and he’s a horrible human being and I vote Democrat now.”

    John Donovan is pretty fair but he and his OTD team don’t seem to understand everyday GOP voters—they bring in the limousine, Ivy League elitist GOP-ers to debate. Like or hate Trump, his views are held by a majority of the right half of the country today and ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    ConstitutionalConservativeVet
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate diverse guests and data-driven questions, though some wish for broader ideological representation.
Some critics describe perceived bias or format fatigue in long-running debates.
Audience praise for civil discourse and rigorous moderation.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Government as Shareholder: Proactive Competitive Strategy or Last Resort?
Q: What about governance concerns, such as the golden chair and potential conflicts of interest?
Guardrails, transparency, and clear institutional design are essential to mitigate conflicts of interest while preserving the ability to influence strategically important firms.
Government as Shareholder: Proactive Competitive Strategy or Last Resort?
Q: How do you assess the efficiency and effectiveness of government intervention elsewhere in Europe in particular?
In some places independent agencies with strong governance perform better; in others, government-led efforts are less efficient, so accountability and design matter a lot.
Is the Scientific Enterprise Too Risk-Averse?
Q: Dimari asks who is responsible for risk aversion in the system and what can be done to change it.
Kate and Brandon point to the ecological and structural factors—tenure norms, funding priorities, and institutional cultures—and advocate for more multidisciplinarity, independent science organizations, and programs that empower researchers to pursue high-risk ideas without being pigeonholed by funding agendas.
Is the Scientific Enterprise Too Risk-Averse?
Q: Leon asks about the social and existential risks of certain types of research and the role of democracy in managing them.
Kate Biberdorf emphasizes that democracy provides checks and balances and that risk management should involve transparent communication about both potential risks and benefits, while science must continue to pursue ambitious goals with public understanding and consent.
Should We Separate the Art from the Artist?
Q: What role should museums play in this debate, when deciding what to display?
Aruna argues museums bear moral responsibilities and should not simply reward or excuse harmful behavior; she emphasizes that displaying certain works without critical context risks endorsing the artist's behavior.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Open to Debate

What is Open to Debate about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Open to Debate features structured, civil, multi-perspective debates on science, technology, policy, and culture. Episodes commonly pair experts from academia, journalism, policy, and industry to explore timely topics such as AI, gene editing, ethics in technology, and societal impact. Moderation is a core strength, with a focus on clear argumentation, audience questions, and a balanced exchange of ideas. The show often surfaces nuanced views, contests ideas across sides, and maintains a nonpartisan, evidence-driven tone. Noteworthy is its broad roster of high-profile guests and its willingness to tackle controversial subjects with rigor and civility, making it a strong fit for listeners who want thoughtful debate without partisan rancor.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Open to Debate. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Open to Debate and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Open to Debate get?

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What are the audience demographics for Open to Debate?

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How many subscribers and views does Open to Debate have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Open to Debate has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Open to Debate?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Open to Debate:

1. Intelligence Squared
2. Freakonomics Radio
3. Throughline
4. EconTalk
5. Radiolab

How many episodes of Open to Debate are there?

Open to Debate launched 19 years ago and published 469 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Open to Debate?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Open to Debate?

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What guests have appeared on Open to Debate?

Recent guests on Open to Debate include:

1. Julia Ioffe
2. Danielle Pletka
3. Joanna Chiu
4. Isaac Stone Fish
5. Lenore Skenazy
6. Reshma Saujani
7. Kristin Gallant
8. Laura Taylor-Kale

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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