Press Releases

Ian Bremmer debates Michael Beckley This was supposed to be the “Chinese century.” In just a few decades, China transitioned from a developing economy to the world’s second largest. Measured in purchasing power parity, it actually surpassed the U.S. economy in 2014, and has since expanded its military, monetary, infrastructure,… Read more   

Kara Swisher, Ian Bremmer, Anthony Scaramucci, Parag Khanna, Andrew Keen among debaters   In the next two months, nonpartisan media platform Intelligence Squared U.S. will release new debates on questions like “Was January 6th an Existential Threat to American Democracy?,” “Has China's Power Peaked?,” “Has Globalization Backfired?,” and “Is Elon Musk Killing Twitter?”… Read more   

Kara Swisher argues Yes. Anthony Scaramucci argues No.   Since shelling out $44 billion for Twitter, critics say Elon Musk is knocking the social media giant off its perch. Under his guidance, a slew of firings, a resurgence of unsavory Tweeters, and a bevy of on-again, off-again bans, have all… Read more   

Shortly after the January 6th attacks on the Capitol, President Biden sought to convey the severity of what had just happened. “The insurrection was an existential crisis — a test of whether our democracy could survive,” he said. Now, on the heels of the midterms where candidates who questioned the… Read more   

On Tuesday, October 25 at 6:00 PM ET Intelligence Squared U.S. and sponsored exclusively by The Homeland Security Enterprise Forum, will present a live debate on the topic of “Information Disorder.” Held it front of a live audience at the Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia, the debate will also stream… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S. Honored with Six Telly Awards for Virtual Programming Intelligence Squared U.S., the veteran debate series and media organization, has just been honored with six Telly Awards for excellence in digital video programming. Winners were selected from more than 11,000 entries submitted from around the globe.   One… Read more   

Next Wednesday, October 12, Intelligence Squared U.S. will host its first live debate in New York City since the start of the pandemic. The debate question is a timely one, particularly after the relationship between workers and employers has undergone such shifts in the last couple years: “Do Unions Work… Read more   

Topics range from the two-party system to dating apps, with debaters dating apps, featuring a range of debaters, from Deepak Chopra to John Mackey, now available at Wondrium.com.   Intelligence Squared U.S., a nonpartisan, nonprofit media platform, has launched a content partnership with education streaming video platform Wondrium. As of… Read more   

On Friday, December 4 at 7:00 PM ET Bloomberg Television will present the third episode of "That's Debatable," presented in partnership with Intelligence Squared U.S. and sponsored exclusively by IBM, with an episode debating the motion "Stop Worrying About National Deficits ." As governments around the world have spent unprecedented sums… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2) announced today the hire of David Ariosto to be the veteran nonprofit debate organization's new Head of Editorial. Working under CEO Clea Conner, Ariosto will oversee all aspects of IQ2 editorial content. Building on IQ2’s longstanding reputation the leading destination to hear opposing viewpoints on the… Read more   

Today, Adweek announced that nonpartisan debate podcast Intelligence Squared U.S. has won their Podcast of the Year Award for "Best Podcast Event." The winning episode debated the motion "Coronavirus Will Reshape the World Order in China's Favor" and marked the nonprofit's third virtual debate following the shutdown of in-person events… Read more   

Historic protests calling for police reform have erupted across the nation. But just what could these reforms mean? And how should we see the criminal justice system today? On Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 PM ET, the nonpartisan Intelligence Squared U.S. will convene five debaters to address the following questions:… Read more   

On Friday, October 9 at 7:00 PM ET Bloomberg Television will debut the new limited series “That’s Debatable,” presented in partnership with Intelligence Squared U.S. and sponsored exclusively by IBM, with an episode debating the motion “It’s Time to Redistribute the Wealth.” As nations around the world face a reckoning… Read more   

NEW YORK September 3, 2020 -- Bloomberg Media today announced a new interactive debate series titled “That’s Debatable,” to debut on Bloomberg Television Friday, October 9 at 7:00PM ET. Presented in partnership with Intelligence Squared U.S. and hosted by four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, broadcaster and Intelligence Squared’s longtime debate moderator… Read more   

Nonpartisan and nonprofit debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. is thrilled to have been honored by the Telly Awards for the second year in a row, winning awards in both the General Live Events and General Public Interest/Awareness categories for their debate "Unresolved: The Techonomic Cold War with China." The debaters… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S. Board Chairman Robert Rosenkranz announced today the hire of Clea Conner to be the veteran nonprofit debate organization's first-ever Chief Executive Officer, a newly created role.   Clea will oversee all aspects of Intelligence Squared U.S.: editorial, marketing, partnerships, fundraising, audience development, and more. She will be… Read more   

Recent polls show that two out of three Americans support capitalism. But some Americans are starting to consider socialism as a viable economic and political model. Supporters of capitalism claim that no other system has been as effective in creating value, increasing prosperity, and producing the wealth that has lifted… Read more   

European regulators are taking on American technology companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google in a big way. Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), regulators say, will give power back to tech consumers by protecting their data and will restore faith in tech companies. But not everyone agrees. Critics… Read more   

What shapes us more: our DNA, or the way we're raised? This debate, commonly recognized as "nature versus nurture," has long drawn disagreement. Some new genetic research suggests that the scale may be tipping toward biology - but not all trust that research. The answer could affect how parents should… Read more   

Universities and students have come under attack in recent years for promoting the concept of "safe spaces." Proponents of the idea argue that safe spaces promise a reprieve from bigotry and oppression by allowing students of all backgrounds the opportunity to express themselves freely. But to their critics, safe spaces… Read more   

Less than a decade old, the pioneering cryptocurrency Bitcoin is already worth billions. But some contend it could easily collapse -- vulnerable to hacks, wild volatility, or simply waning market enthusiasm. Is Bitcoin a bubble waiting to pop? On Saturday, April 21, four experts on the subject will argue over… Read more   

The Federal Communications Commission's recent decision to end net neutrality regulations has fueled a national debate about the future of the internet. On Tuesday, April 17 - the week before the FCC's decision takes effect - the "fantastic" (New Yorker) debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. will present both sides of… Read more   

Congratulations to Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) Chief Operating Officer Clea Chang on her inclusion in Crain's New York Business's 2018 "40 Under 40" list. She was included alongside other honorees like Michael Barbaro (NY Times' "The Daily" host) and Amber Ruffin ('Late Night With Seth Meyers' writer). "Clea Chang is… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) and next-generation national news network Newsy have launched a new weekly Sunday morning program called "Up for Debate" to feature enlightening perspectives and solutions for Newsy's millennial audience. "Up for Debate" turns IQ2US's award-winning debates into 30-minute episodes, presenting leading thinkers in politics, culture and beyond… Read more   

Does society still need religion, or do reason and philosophy make better guideposts for the 21st century? On Tuesday, March 27, with Easter just around the corner, the "fantastic" (New Yorker) Intelligence Squared U.S. follows recent debates about the economy, dating apps, and humanitarian intervention with a debate on the… Read more   

Is Trump making China great again? Can the U.S. and China strike a deal to contain North Korea? Intelligence Squared U.S. kicks off its fall season of debates on Wednesday, September 13 by examining urgent U.S.-China policy questions against the backdrop of breaking news and rising tensions. In an innovative… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) is co-sponsoring the First Democratic Mayoral Primary Election Debate, hosted by the New York City Campaign Finance Board and sponsored by NY1, on Wednesday, August 23 at Symphony Space. For the first time ever, the debate will incorporate the traditional Oxford debate format in a ten-minute… Read more   

Since the nation's founders first drafted the Constitution, America has never held a constitutional convention. But some are saying the time has come. In recent years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have called for a wide variety of amendments. For instance, some progressive thinkers want an amendment to… Read more   

For many, President Obama's foreign policy will be defined by its accomplishments: killing Osama bin Laden, disengaging from unwinnable fights in the Middle East, defusing the threat of a nuclear Iran, and refocusing our attention and resources to Asia. But for others, it has been marked by what they see… Read more   

The practice of gerrymandering--dividing election districts in ways that favor a particular group--has been around since our nation's founding. But does it make districts "safe" for one party or the other, in turn, pulling Democrats and Republicans to extremes, or has its impact been overblown? It's been in the spotlight… Read more   

In this election, no single issue has been more divisive than immigration. Donald Trump has at times called for deporting all 11 million undocumented immigrants, while Hillary Clinton supports giving some the opportunity to become citizens. But beneath the heated campaign rhetoric, the question of whether to create a path… Read more   

On average, drug price increases are 6 times the rate of inflation and just in the past month, the makers of the EpiPen have come under heavy criticism for a recent hefty price increase. But how much is the pharmaceutical industry really to blame? Is the industry fleecing American consumers,… Read more   

This election cycle has seen large swaths of the electorate reject political and media establishment wisdom by backing the campaigns of outsider candidates--the most surprising result being the candidacy of Donald Trump. How did a businessman turned reality TV personality, with no political experience, capture the Republican ticket? Could it… Read more   

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued a stay blocking the implementation of the Obama administration's much-debated "Clean Power Plan" (CPP). Widely considered a hallmark of President Obama's environmental legacy, the CPP was challenged by 29 states and leading business organizations who argue the risks of reducing carbon emissions -… Read more   

A lineup of REAL debates designed to inform voters on the most important election issues The presidential candidates will hold three debates this fall, but will memorized talking points and personal attacks truly help voters make informed decisions about the complex issues facing the country? To inform and enlighten Americans… Read more   

The presidential debates are broken. They tell voters almost nothing that can't be gathered from campaign ads and allow no time for depth, no payoff for nuance, no serious discussion of policy. They have been reduced to "gotcha" questions, personal attacks, uninformative soundbites, and rehearsed remarks. Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US)… Read more   

Some have criticized President Obama for expanding the imperial presidency by taking actions without consulting Congress: executive orders on immigration and Obamacare, and recess appointment of judges at home and the deployment of war powers against ISIS, drones, Libya, and more abroad. And in January a new president will take… Read more   

In the United States and abroad, hunters say they play a critical role in wildlife conservation, funding environmental preservation initiatives and participating in the ecosystem via controlled and humane hunts. But critics say that the idea that we should hunt endangered species to save them, whether via trophy hunts (ie… Read more   

The auto industry, agriculture, the energy sector, and more all benefit from government subsidies: loans, tax breaks, regulation, and other preferences. Critics say that not only do these subsidies transfer wealth from taxpayers to corporations, they distort the markets and our economy. Proponents say government plays an important role in… Read more   

In the past year, the world's leading technologists, innovators and scientists like Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk have begun warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Hawking wrote, "Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last." Are… Read more   

In the past year, student protests have erupted at colleges nationwide. At the University of Missouri (Mizzou), protestors responding to a series of racist incidents on campus tried to block journalists from entering their encampment. At Princeton, students staged a sit-in to demand Woodrow Wilson's name be removed from a… Read more   

The average American can expect to live for 78.8 years, the longest lifespan in human history but still not long enough for most of us. So researchers around the world have been working on arresting the process of aging through biotechnology and finding cures to diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.… Read more   

Last night, Intelligence Squared U.S. continued its spring 2012 season with a victory for the motion "Ban College Football". In the final tally, Malcolm Gladwell and Buzz Bissinger won the Oxford-style debate by convincing 37% of the audience to change their minds and oppose the motion. After the debate, 53%… Read more   

Last night, Intelligence Squared U.S. continued its spring 2012 season with a victory for the motion When it Comes to Politics, The Internet is Closing Our Minds. In the final tally, Eli Pariser and Siva Vaidhyanathan won the Oxford-style debate by convincing 25% of the audience to change their minds… Read more   

Last night, Intelligence Squared U.S. continued its spring 2012 season with a sold-out debate and a victory against the motion “China Does Capitalism Better than America.” In the final tally, Ian Bremmer and Minxin Pei won the Oxford-style debate by convincing 35% of the audience to change their minds and… Read more   

Last night, Intelligence Squared U.S. continued its spring 2012 season with a sold-out debate and a victory against the motion Obesity is the Governments Business. In the final tally, John Stossel and Paul Campos won the Oxford style debate by convincing 16% of the audience to change their minds and… Read more   

On February 7, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will take on one of America's biggest problems when they host the debate: Obesity Is the Government's Business. Obesity costs our health care system nearly $150 billion a year and is a major risk factor for expensive, chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes,… Read more   

Last night, Intelligence Squared U.S. launched it's spring 2012 season with a sold-out debate and a decisive victory for the motion, The U.N. Should Admit Palestine as a Full Member State. The debate was especially heated and, according to the final votes, Mustafa Barghouthi and Daniel Levy won by convincing… Read more   

On January 10th, New York's premier live debate series, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US), returns for the first debate of its spring 2012 season with the divisive proposition: "The U.N. Should Admit Palestine as a Full Member State." Read more   

The influential public policy debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) has announced its spring 2012 season beginning January 10 at NYU's Skirball Center. The new season will feature propositions on topics from college football to capitalism in China, from Palestine statehood to political discourse in the online age. Confirmed debaters… Read more   

Last night's Intelligence Squared U.S. debate ended with a narrow victory for the controversial motion, The World Would Be Better Off Without Religion, and a record setting number of viewers of the live webcast. Matthew Chapman and A.C. Grayling won the Oxford style debate by changing the minds of 7%… Read more   

Last night audience members at the first ever Intelligence Squared U.S. debate in Chicago, "Too Many Kids Go to College, gave a victory to the team arguing for this resolution. By the end of the debate Peter Thiel and Charles Murray convinced 8% of the audience to change their minds… Read more   

Last night at NYU's Skirball Center audience members gave an overwhelming victory to the team defending the proposition “Men Are Finished. According to the final votes, Dan Abrams and Hanna Rosin convinced 46% of the audience to change their minds over the course of the evening, winning the Oxford style… Read more   

The latest round in Americ's premier debate series, Intelligence Squared Debates, pitted President and Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post Media Group, Arianna Huffington and New York Times columnist David Brooks, against America's premier political satirist P.J. O'Rourke, and Zev Chafets, contributor to the New York Times Magazine and founding editor of… Read more   

The debate, the first in IQ2US's spring series "America'™s House Divided", was particularly timely given the planned House of Representatives vote to consider repealing the landmark health care reform bill. Arguments on both sides of the motion were passionate and insightful but in the end, one side had the clear… Read more   

Intelligence Squared U.S., the Oxford-style debate series, an initiative of The Rosenkranz Foundation, hosted a debate last night on the motion, U.S. Airports Should Use Racial & Religious Profiling. Given the recent news of stepped up TSA security procedures at airports, the debate was well-timed and shed light on the… Read more   

Four experts in the region and in international and military affairs considered whether the time was right to pull U.S. troops out of the war torn country. In the end, the team arguing against the motion moved more of the audience to their point of view, thus winning the debate. Read more   

Four passionate debaters had the large crowd completely energized from the evening'€™s first moment as they took on the motion, Islam is a religion of peace. Read more   

After the four person debate and a round of thoughtful questions from the audience, the final vote ended with one of the closest results in Intelligence Squared US's history. The team arguing in favor of the motion won the night with 49% of the audience voting for them. 47% were… Read more   

The evening's winning team argued for the motion and included Santa Monica City Council member Bobby Shriver, the Economist's Andreas Kluth, and journalist and founder of TheWrap.com Sharon Waxman. Read more   

The team in favor of the proposition, America is to Blame for Mexico's Drug War, scored an undisputed victory with 72% of the audience at the debate'€™s conclusion siding with them. Read more