The influence of policy | Amy Hanauer | TEDxSHHS

Summary

This speech emphasizes the profound impact of public policy on our lives, from education and health to environmental issues and economic inequality. The speaker highlights that while many aspects of life seem to be about individual choices, policies shape our opportunities, well-being, and the environment. They argue that small changes in policy can lead to huge improvements in society, urging citizens to stay curious, engage in collective action, and actively participate in shaping public policy for a more equitable, sustainable future.

Takeaways

• 🍼 Parents often have hopes, dreams, and worries for their children, from their future careers to safety and well-being.
• 🤔 Public policy has a massive impact on various aspects of life, including health, education, income, and environmental conditions.
• 📜 Citizens have the right and responsibility to shape public policy in a representative democracy.
• 💡 Even small changes in public policy can have significant effects, such as improving mass transit, lowering taxes, or increasing financial aid.
• 🌍 Public policies influence global and local challenges, such as environmental sustainability and social justice.
• 🚍 Simple adjustments, like increasing taxes by a small amount, can lead to large improvements in public services like transportation.
• 🇩🇰 Policy differences between countries, such as wages at McDonald's, show how much public policy shapes economic outcomes.
• 🎓 Public policies can transform societies, as seen with education systems and programs like the GI Bill in the U.S.
• 💪 Large-scale movements are often necessary to create meaningful policy changes, and collective action plays a critical role.
• 🚴‍♂️ Participating in local activities, like group bike rides, can also serve as a form of collective action and advocacy for better public policies.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's message in this transcript?

The speaker emphasizes the significant impact that public policy has on various aspects of life, such as health, education, the environment, and economic stability. They argue that public policy decisions shape individual lives in profound ways, often more than personal choices.

Why does the speaker mention a baby being born at the beginning of the speech?

The speaker uses the example of a baby being born to highlight how parents naturally wonder about their child's future. This sets the stage to discuss how public policy will affect that child's life in areas such as education, healthcare, and safety.

What role does public policy play in shaping people's lives according to the speaker?

Public policy influences many aspects of daily life, including education, healthcare, wages, environmental quality, and even criminal justice. The speaker argues that these policies significantly impact people's well-being, opportunities, and quality of life.

Why does the speaker believe that curiosity about public policy is often discouraged?

The speaker believes curiosity about public policy is discouraged because powerful interests benefit from the current structure of policies. These groups may not want people to question or challenge policies that work in their favor.

What examples does the speaker give to illustrate the power of small policy changes?

The speaker gives several examples, such as a small increase in public transportation funding in Ohio and the impact of a $15 congestion fee in London, which led to reduced pollution and better transit. These examples show how minor policy adjustments can lead to substantial positive outcomes.

How does the speaker describe the role of individual action in policy change?

The speaker acknowledges that individual actions like voting and writing to elected officials are important but often insufficient for significant policy changes. They stress the need for collective action and movements to create real change in public policy.

What contrast does the speaker draw between McDonald's wages in the U.S. and Denmark?

The speaker contrasts the low wages of McDonald's workers in the U.S. ($9 per hour) with the higher wages in Denmark (around $20.70 per hour). The speaker attributes this difference to the varying labor policies between the two countries, highlighting the impact of policy on wages and job conditions.

How does the speaker address the issue of renewable energy policy?

The speaker discusses how states like Maine have policies that promote renewable energy, requiring utilities to produce 40% of their power from renewable sources by 2017. In contrast, Ohio froze its clean energy standards, showing how different policies can affect energy consumption and environmental impact.

What point does the speaker make about the incarceration rates in different countries?

The speaker contrasts the incarceration rates of Sweden and the U.S., noting that Sweden has 51 incarcerated people per 100,000, while the U.S. has 716 per 100,000. This difference is used to illustrate how public policies regarding criminal justice can lead to vastly different outcomes.

What call to action does the speaker make at the end of the speech?

The speaker encourages the audience to get involved in collective actions, such as participating in Critical Mass bike rides, joining rallies, or advocating for policy changes. They urge people to stay curious and ask tough questions about why policies are the way they are, and how they can be improved.

Outlines

00:00

👶 The Curiosity and Concerns of New Parents

This paragraph discusses the birth of a child and the many hopes, dreams, and questions that parents have for their child’s future. Parents wonder about their child’s health, career, and happiness, while also facing concerns about financial stability, time management, and broader societal risks such as crime and incarceration. The core message emphasizes that public policy plays a crucial role in determining the answers to these questions, though curiosity about policy is often discouraged.

05:02

🚌 The Impact of Tiny Policy Changes on Society

This section highlights how even small adjustments in public policy can lead to significant societal improvements. For example, a small increase in state taxes to support mass transit could greatly improve transportation systems. Similarly, reversing tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals could restore financial aid for education, making a tangible difference in the lives of many students. The examples underscore how policy changes, even on a small scale, can lead to wide-reaching positive impacts on communities.

10:03

🏙️ The Role of Public Policy in Global and Local Issues

This paragraph delves into how different public policies shape outcomes in various parts of the world. Examples include London's congestion charge, which reduced traffic and pollution, and the disparities in wages for McDonald’s workers between Denmark and the U.S., illustrating how policy impacts quality of life. It also explores how environmental and criminal justice policies vary by region, shaping societal outcomes like energy use and incarceration rates.

15:06

🚴‍♂️ Collective Action and Public Policy Change

The final section encourages collective action as the most effective means of influencing public policy. The author suggests participating in movements like Critical Mass bike rides, attending rallies, or supporting various causes to challenge the status quo and shape public policies. The call to action emphasizes staying curious and involved, as public policy ultimately affects all aspects of daily life, from happiness to environmental health.

Keywords

💡Public Policy

Public policy refers to the rules and regulations enacted by governments that shape societal outcomes. In the video, the speaker emphasizes how policies directly affect various aspects of our lives, from education to environmental quality, illustrating that even small changes in public policy can have a huge impact. For example, policies affect whether a child can attend free preschool or whether mass transit is adequately funded.

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is the innate desire to understand and ask questions. In the video, the speaker encourages curiosity about public policy, emphasizing that it is often discouraged by society. The speaker argues that by being curious about how policies impact individuals, such as whether a child will have access to education or clean air, we become more engaged and responsible citizens.

💡Inequality

Inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources, opportunities, and rights among different groups of people. In the video, the speaker discusses how public policies can either exacerbate or reduce inequality, giving examples like how financial aid cuts limit educational opportunities or how tax cuts for the wealthy widen the gap between the rich and poor. The concept ties into the broader message that policies shape social and economic outcomes.

💡Collective Action

Collective action refers to the efforts of a group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. The speaker emphasizes that real change in public policy often requires collective action rather than individual efforts, citing examples such as Black Lives Matter rallies or cycling events like the one held in Cleveland. These movements aim to build support for policy changes that benefit society as a whole.

💡Education

Education in the context of the video is framed as a critical area influenced by public policy. The speaker mentions historical successes like the GI Bill, which expanded access to higher education, and the current challenges such as cuts to need-based financial aid. Policies surrounding education impact not just individual success but societal progress, making it a central theme in the discussion of how public policy shapes opportunities.

💡Environmental Policy

Environmental policy refers to the rules and regulations aimed at protecting the environment. In the video, the speaker highlights how policies determine air and water quality, citing examples like London's congestion fee, which reduced pollution and improved public transportation. Additionally, the freezing of Ohio's clean energy standards is used as an example of how regressive policies can negatively impact environmental sustainability.

💡Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals or families to move up or down the social and economic ladder. The speaker discusses how policies related to taxation, education, and financial aid impact social mobility. For instance, restoring 2% of Ohio's tax cuts could significantly boost financial aid, enabling students to finish their degrees and improve their economic prospects, demonstrating how policy decisions affect individual opportunities for advancement.

💡Economic Disparity

Economic disparity refers to the gap in wealth and income between different socioeconomic groups. The speaker discusses how tax cuts for the wealthy in Ohio have exacerbated this disparity, while simultaneously cutting financial aid for students from low-income families. This contrast illustrates how public policy can either alleviate or deepen economic inequalities.

💡Healthcare

Healthcare is another critical area influenced by public policy, as mentioned in the video. The speaker touches on issues like nutrition, fitness, and overall well-being, explaining that public health policies directly affect individual outcomes. For instance, access to healthcare services like parental leave and worker benefits can impact the well-being of both individuals and families.

💡Civic Engagement

Civic engagement refers to individuals' involvement in shaping public policy and participating in democratic processes. The speaker emphasizes that voting and writing to elected officials are important, but notes that these actions alone may not be sufficient to drive change. True impact requires being part of larger movements and actively engaging in discussions about policy, such as attending rallies or participating in community events.

Highlights

Parents' hopes, dreams, and worries shape their thoughts about their child's future, from potential careers to health and well-being.

Public policy plays a significant role in shaping outcomes such as education, healthcare, and financial security.

The speaker emphasizes that citizens have the responsibility to help shape public policies, which affect daily life.

Even small changes in public policy can have large impacts, like improving mass transit systems with minimal tax adjustments.

Tax cuts in Ohio over the last decade have benefited the wealthy but reduced need-based financial aid for higher education.

A small policy change in London, like a $15 congestion fee, dramatically reduced traffic, improved air quality, and increased mass transit use.

Policies affecting incarceration rates vary greatly by region, with the U.S. having much higher rates than countries like Sweden.

The U.S. historically made significant public policy advances, such as free education and Social Security, which reduced poverty.

The Clean Water Act helped revive polluted areas, such as the Kyoga River in Ohio, by improving water quality and fostering biodiversity.

Educational policies, like the GI Bill, helped the U.S. transition from an agrarian to an industrial society, increasing the education level.

Despite policy advances, the U.S. lags behind in some areas, like renewable energy standards, compared to states like Maine.

Public policy controls critical factors in our lives, such as air quality, economic equity, and access to education.

The speaker notes that individual action can be important, but large-scale policy changes usually require collective efforts.

Movements like Black Lives Matter and unions can inspire public policy shifts, emphasizing the importance of organized activism.

Citizens are encouraged to stay curious, asking critical questions about the impact of policies on happiness, poverty, and environmental health.

Transcripts

so while you're sitting here watching

this talk a baby is being born and her

parents have enormous hopes and dreams

for her and if they're like most parents

they also are curious about a lot of

things they have a lot of things that

they're wondering will she be a poet or

a c CEO will she be healthy and happy

will she like music or Sports they're

curious they Wonder these things and if

they're like most parents they also have

a lot of worries will they be able to

make enough money to give her a good

life will they be able to spend enough

time with her will her mother be able to

nurse her and then if they're anything

like me and they read the things that I

read on a daily basis they likely have

some weightier questions too How likely

she'd end up incarcerated to be the

victim of a crime will she ever stare

down the barrel of a

gun will she get good nutrition will she

be fit how long will she

live How likely is she to graduate from

high school from college will those

things put her in debt will she be able

to take care of her own children if and

when they come along we're humans we're

curious so we wonder about the future

and we try to predict it but if you're

really curious about all of those those

seemingly unrelated questionss I just

asked I can tell you one thing one that

has an enormous impact on all of them

and that thing is public

policy and the problem is that policy is

something about which our curiosity is

often

discouraged by policy I mean the rules

and regulations that we and our elected

officials put in place and as Citizens

in a representative democracy you have

the right

and the responsibility to help shape

those policies and they control

everything from whether a three-year-old

gets free preschool to how much a

company can

pollute to how much workers get paid to

whether I get to take a bus or have to

drive from my home to my job every day

policy matters it matters so much that I

named an organization policy matters

policy matters Ohio you can find us on

the web at policy matters ohio.org and

um we create a more vibrant Equitable

sustainable and inclusive Ohio by

fighting for the things that I think

would make the life of that baby born a

few paragraphs ago a little bit

better if you agree with the policies we

put forth you can go to our website and

support us but you don't have to agree

with the policy ideas I have what you do

have to agree with is the fact that

policy has an enormous effect on our

health our wealth and our well-being it

has an impact on how much exercise we we

get how much stress we suffer from how

much art we see it impacts how much time

we get with our kids and how well cared

for our aging parents

are many of these things seem to be

solely about individual choice but the

fact is that parental leave policy

overtime policy Transit Investments

public art Investments these public

decisions shape and mold our private

lives every single day and of course

they also have a tremendous impact on

how clean our air and water is how

quickly our ice flows are melting how

chaotic our climate will

be now here's the dirty little secret

about public policy it is the very very

hard to change with individual action

now I know I am violating the first rule

of speeches and of Life nobody wants to

be told that they don't have the power

to change things everybody wants to know

how they can make an impact people want

to dump ice on their heads they want to

shave their heads they want to run in

Races they want to have an impact

themselves people like me drive up to

speeches like this well I walked but

they drive up to speeches like this with

bumper stickers on their car that say

things like never doubt that a small

group of thoughtful con committed

citizens can change the world indeed it

is the only thing that ever

had well I hate to break it to you and I

hate to break it to Margaret me who said

that but the fact is you often need a

large group of of people thoughtless

people also have a lot of impact on our

policy you rarely get exactly what you

want and if you're someone like me it is

highly likely that there are moneyed

interests on the other side of whatever

it is that you're fighting for so I'm

sorry it's not very inspirational it's a

little hard to fit on a

t-shirt however here is the

inspirational thing about public policy

change a teeny tiny change in public

policy can make an enormous difference

in all of our

Lives I'll give you a couple of examples

right now in Ohio every taxpayer sends

70 cents each year to the state of Ohio

which is then redistributed to our

communities to support mass transit the

buses and trains that Hannah showed on

her side 70 cents I think in the

cafeteria upstairs you can get a bag of

chips for that much

money if each of you devoted two bags of

chips a year or maybe five bags of chips

a year to the state taxes that you pay

to support mass transit in our

communities maybe my RTA would come a

little bit more quickly and maybe I'd be

a little more likely to ride it tiny

change huge impact I'm going to give you

a different

example we have been cutting taxes in

the state of Ohio for the past decade

cutting income taxes to the degree that

a taxpayer in the top 1% in Ohio now

pays $220,000

less each year in state income taxes

toare compared to what they paid a

decade ago at the same time we have been

cutting need-based financial aid for

higher education more than any other

state in the Midwest and almost more

than any other state in the

country if we restored just 2% of the

tax increases that we've been giving

away we could restore our need-based

financial aid to its historic highs in

Ohio

100,000 kids who get those tiny

scholarships would get a little bit more

in their financial aid package maybe

they could quit their second job which

might mean that maybe they could

actually finish their coursework and get

that degree and get the career that they

had been hoping for tiny change huge

result in London in the early 2000s the

city was so congested that it was

unpleasant to be in it was deeply

polluted and people could not get around

efficiently nobody knew how to handle

this they finally decided to put in

place a

$15 congestion fee to get into the Heart

of the City at the peak times of day

they didn't know how that was going to

work out and a lot of people didn't

think it was a very good idea you want

to know what happened congestion dropped

by

30% the times for those Journeys dropped

by

14% biking jumped by 20% pollution fell

they generated over a billion dollars in

income they were able to buy hundreds of

shiny new buses in London and there are

now 30,000 more rides on mass transit

each day in the city of London as a

result of that change it's better for

bikers it's better for Walkers it's even

better for drivers and it's certainly

better for the planet tiny change huge

impact but we tend to focus on other

things we tend not to ask so much about

policy we when we meet someone we wonder

about their culture we wonder about

their relace race we wonder about what

kind of family they came from we might

ask them what sports they play what

hobbies they have what TV shows they

watch and those are all fine questions

they're all interesting maybe the TV is

a little less interesting but we rarely

ask oursel how might that person's life

have been different if they had grown up

under a different set of public policies

what if she'd been able to go to

preschool and be prepared for

kindergarten when she arrived in it what

if he'd been able to get that

scholarship and finish that degree what

if she'd never breathed in that

carcinogen those are the questions that

we're less likely to ask and the reason

I think we're less likely to ask those

questions is I think we're discouraged

from asking those questions we've all

heard it's impolite to talk about

politics or

religion and in America I think we have

a very strong tendency to want to think

that all of the results that come about

are about individual choices and

individual behaviors we also have a

really strong bias for wanting to say

the market Works a certain way and you

can't intervene in it if you do you'll

just hurt the economy well the fact is I

would argue that there is a reason that

someone doesn't want you asking those

questions there are people who benefit

from the way that we have structured

things now and there are people who do

not want difficult questions

asked so here's an example of a

difference in policy between the United

States and another country that seems to

be mostly about the free market

McDonald's is a notorious low-wage

employer here pays about $9 an

hour busts unions if they ever try to

set foot and most of us might look at

that and say that's just what that job

is worth and that's the way the market

works and if you change it McDonald's

won't be able to survive here and N none

of those workers will have jobs at all

well the fact is that McDonald's also

exists in Denmark and in Denmark

McDonald's pays an average of

$20.70 an hour the workers are in a

union and they get paid overtime if they

work on evenings or

weekends what is a poverty wage job here

is a middle class job in Denmark why

policy give you another

example by the year 2017 if you live in

Maine and you want to buy power from a

utility that utility will have to

produce 40% of That Power from fully

renewable sources wind and solil for

example that same year unless they

change the policy between now and then

your grandparents in

Florida will be able to buy their power

from a utility that can produce 100% of

That Power from nonrenewable highly

polluting mostly important mostly

imported fossil

fuels here in Ohio we had a clean energy

standard I think Zach referenced it in

introducing me because policy matters

helped um get that through a very

carefully crafted bipartisan compromise

last year your state legislature froze

our clean energy standards in Ohio

making Ohio the first state ever to go

backwards on clean energy the point is

what affects the cleanliness of the

energy we consume and the air we breathe

policy last example crime is down all

over the world which is a great

thing but you're likelihood of being

incarcerated varies tremendously

depending on the policies of the

community in which you

live so in Sweden 51 out of every

100,000 people are incarcerated that's

sad right it's

unfortunate here in the United States 14

times as many of our neighbors are

incarcerated in prison

716 people for every 100,000 that means

there are two

2.24 million Americans who are not

contributing to the economy who are not

helping their kids with their homework

each night who are not building toward a

better future for themselves and who we

are paying to keep Behind Bars why

policy now I've talked about some of the

things that I'm you know frustrated

about and that's a common problem that I

have but the fact is I think that there

are many things that we get right in the

United States in terms of policy we put

in place the world's first K through2

education system and then with the GI

Bill we let every returning veteran from

World War II go to college for

free as a result we catapulted ourselves

from being an entirely uneducated

agrarian society to a highly educated

industrial society from a place where

only one in four adults had even a high

school degree in

1940 to today we're nearly one in three

adults has a four-year bachelor's degree

still not high enough maybe I would

argue but an entirely different change

and we became the most educated country

on the planet other end of the age

Spectrum the elderly in 1930 80% of our

grandparents were living in poverty in

the United States we put in place Social

Security and Medicare sparked by those

two things and also by the growth in the

economy that was fostered by those

educational Investments we lowered the

elderly poverty rate to below 10% so

that today elderly Americans are the

least likely age group to be

poor we took a country that was deeply

divided along racial lines violently

viciously divided and we got rid of

slavery and Jim Crow we passed the

Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights

Act so that today while we haven't gone

far enough starting right here in Shaker

you can find integrated families and

classrooms and boardrooms and

neighborhoods

our own kyoga River caught on fire in

the 1970s in an international

embarrassment did we tuck our heads

under our wings and say there's nothing

we can do about this no in response we

passed the Clean Water Act at the

national level and today in that very

River 40 species of fish are thriving

they're cold today but they're

thriving so I would argue that for our

biggest challenges and our biggest

opport opportunities to make our air

cleaner to make our disease rates lower

to make our kids better educated policy

is

essential but here's the thing you'll

rarely hear someone like me come and

give a speech like this without urging

you to get registered and urging you to

vote and I'm not going to violate that

either you ought to do those two

things and you'll rarely hear a speech

from someone like me who doesn't say you

ought to write to your elected official

about the things that concern you and

not only do I agree with that advice but

I could probably give give you a long

list of things you could add to that

list but I would be lying if I implied

that you alone doing those two things

could make a significant difference the

fact is that if you want to have an

impact on public policy you're going to

have to get involved in a larger

movement however here's the good news

you don't have to do it exactly the way

that maybe your parents or grandparents

did you don't necessarily have to Doodle

your way through as many boring meetings

as I did even though I think that they

add some value so I'm going to give you

an easy entry to Collective action and

that is that on the last Friday of every

month in cities all over the planet

bicyclists assemble at the core of their

city and get on their bikes and they go

out and they ride past bars and board

UPS they ride past workingclass

neighborhoods and housing projects they

ride past college campuses and art

museums here in clev cland we meet up at

Public Square on the last Friday of

every month at 7:30 p.m. never changes I

don't always go in the

winter join us it'll feel like a bike

ride but you'll actually be building the

case for more bike lanes for more

careful driving for more Community it's

it it seems like a bike ride but it's

actually Collective action or if your

parents don't want you riding through

the Central City in the dark in

Cleveland then do something different go

to a black lives matter rally join a

union join the group that's trying to

reduce testing in Shaker Heights but do

something to not let people stop you

from asking the questions that you want

to ask do not let people stop you from

asking the hard questions feed your

curiosity why was that person laid off

why is that kid in poverty why is the

planet

warming or let's turn those questions on

their head why is that child so happy

why is that lake so clean why is that

City so

vibrant the answer if you're curious

almost certainly has something to do

with the policies that we as Citizens

and students and activists have helped

to put in place be part of that

conversation be part of that fight be

part of that ride thank you very much