5-Minute Videos | PragerU

Right now, there's a well-organized, below-the-radar effort to render the Electoral College effectively useless. It's called the National Popular Vote, and it would turn our presidential elections into a majority-rule affair. Would this be good or bad? Author, lawyer, and Electoral College expert Tara Ross explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you understand what the Electoral College is? Or how it works? Or why America uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote? Author, lawyer and Electoral College expert Tara Ross does, and she explains that to understand the Electoral College is to understand American democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there an equation that can accurately predict how happy you will be? There is. Can you control the inputs of that equation, and thus your own happiness? You can. How? Dennis Prager, author of the best-selling book, "Happiness is a Serious Problem", explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans today place enormous pressure on presidents to "do something"...anything, to get the economy going. There was one president, though, Calvin Coolidge, who did "nothing" -- other than shrink government. What happened? America's economy boomed. Is there a lesson to be learned? Award-winning author, historian, and biographer Amity Shlaes thinks so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does race trump truth? In a confrontation between police and perpetrators, what is more important? Facts or skin color? When protests morph into riots, do we excuse bad behavior based on race? If we do, how are we ever going to end racism? Chloe Valdary, a student at the University of New Orleans, confronts these critical questions and offers a compelling answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year on Earth Day we learn how bad humanity's economic development is for the health of the planet. But maybe this is the wrong message. Maybe we should instead reflect on how human progress, even use of fossil fuels, has made our environment cleaner and healthier. Alex Epstein of the Center for Industrial Progress explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is profit a dirty word? Would the world be better off without them? Or are profits progressive -- the only thing that can move potatoes from Idaho to Manhattan and medicine from America to Africa? Professor and economist Walter Williams explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do humans have free will or are our decisions entirely products of chemistry, physics, and genetics? Is there a difference between the brain and the mind? Could a neuroscientist with enough knowledge of our brains know every decision that we'll make? The answers to these questions cut to the heart of what it means to be human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's campuses, particularly those in California, spend tens of millions of dollars on administrators and programs to combat issues like sexism, homophobia, and racism on campus. But are these problems in any way prevalent at our universities? Or is this diversity bureaucracy a big waste of money? Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was perhaps the most determinative date in American history? July 4, 1776? Pearl Harbor? September 11? How about...July 28, 1588. Richard McMillan, Professor of History at Pierce College, explains why that seemingly random date is so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did America invade Iraq in 2003? Was it for oil? Or was it because Saddam Hussein was a mass-murdering dictator who harbored terrorists and threatened the region with Weapons of Mass Destruction? If it was the former, wouldn't it have been a lot easier to just buy Iraq's oil on the open market? And if it was the latter, why did Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and John Kerry support President Bush? Noted British historian, Andrew Roberts, has the answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men look at pretty women. That goes for men who are married, men who are dating, and men who are single. That's their nature. But is this built-in attraction with the female body a threat to their spouse, girlfriend, or partner? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, it was done so with the approval of the United Nations. But today, Israel's enemies routinely challenge the legitimacy of its very existence. So, under international law, who's right? Israel? Or its enemies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do the rich pay their fair share of taxes? It's not a simple question. First of all, what do you mean by rich? And how much is fair? What are the rich, whoever they are, paying now? Is there any tax rate that would be unfair? UCLA Professor of Economics, Lee Ohanian, has some fascinating and unexpected answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we here? Literally. The latest science says we shouldn't be. It says that the chance life exists at all is less than zero. So, is science the greatest threat to the idea of Intelligent Design or is science its greatest advocate? Best-selling author and lecturer, Eric Metaxas, poses this intriguing question and comes up with a very unexpected and challenging answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you care about the race of your doctor, or the gender of the person who built the bridge you drive across? The latest trend across STEM fields claims you should. Heather Mac Donald, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of The Diversity Delusion, explains where these destructive ideas are coming from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan is the world's fifth largest democracy. It is also deeply influenced by Islamic law (Sharia). Can these two traditions, Western Liberal democracy and Sharia, co-exist? If so, how? And if not, what are the consequences? Haroon Ullah, foreign policy professor at Georgetown University, has some fascinating and sobering answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Were the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, characterized by oppression, ignorance, and backwardness in areas like human rights, science, health, and the arts? Or were they marked by progress and tolerance? Anthony Esolen, an English Literature professor at Providence College, explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does free enterprise hurt the poor? Is it unfair and driven by greed? Did it cause the Great Recession? In five minutes, Arthur Brooks answers these questions and more about capitalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Israel's policy of building civilian communities in the West Bank the reason there's no peace agreement with the Palestinians? Or would there still be no peace even if Israel removed all of its settlements and evicted Israeli settlers, as it did in Gaza in 2005? Renowned Harvard professor and legal scholar Alan Dershowitz explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanity has everything it needs to create a good world. We've had it for 3,000 years. It's the Ten Commandments -- ten basic, yet profound instructions for how to lead a moral life. If everyone followed the Ten Commandments, we would not need armies or police; marriages and families would be stronger; truth would be a paramount value. Dennis Prager explains how the Ten Commandments led to the creation of Western Civilization and why they remain relevant to your life today. This video course introduces a ten-part series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is only one commandment that prohibits a thought, and it is this: "Do Not Covet." Why does the Bible, which is preoccupied with behavior, legislate a thought? Because to covet, to want what belongs to someone else, is the root of the preceding four commandments and often leads to evil. Before someone murders, steals, lies, or commits adultery, the desire to take what is rightly someone else's usually comes first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most important ingredient to building a moral society is truth, both inside and outside a courtroom. The prohibition against "bearing false witness" does not only demands that truth reign supreme in a trial, but that it is a societal value throughout the culture. Bad things happen when people believe lies. With truth, we can build a decent society. Without it, even the other nine commandments won't help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is one commandment that, if followed by all of humanity, would instantly create a peaceful world: Do not steal. The Eighth Commandment implicitly prohibits murder (stealing a life), slavery (stealing a person's freedom), adultery (stealing a spouse), humiliation (stealing dignity), and so many other sins laid out in the Bible. If there is one commandment that summarizes the other nine, this one is it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do the Ten Commandments single out adultery as particularly harmful? Because adultery can destroy the foundational unit of a society -- the family. If exposed, adultery leads to a sense of betrayal. If hidden, it forces the offending spouse to lie. Children are often the unintended victims. This may be one of the most difficult Biblical laws to follow, but it's also one of the most important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If asked to state this commandment, most people would say "Do Not Kill." This is understandable because the classic King James Bible translates it this way. But the English language has changed since 1610. Furthermore, Hebrew has two words for killing, just as English does. The correct translation, as Dennis Prager explains, is "Do Not Murder." Once you grasp this, the meaning of the commandment changes entirely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Children owe their parents one thing. And no, it's not love. The Fifth Commandment understands that sometimes it's difficult or even impossible to love your parents. But it's almost always possible to honor them. Dennis Prager explains what that means and why it's so important. And consider this: if your children see you honoring your parents they are much more likely to honor you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Setting aside of day of rest each week was a revolutionary concept when it was first introduced as the Fourth Commandment. But this commandment does more: it extends that day of rest to slaves and animals, and thus set in motion the slow process of ending slavery, and the compassionate treatment of animals. As Dennis Prager explains, the power of the Fourth Commandment to change your life is no less real today than it was for our ancient ancestors. Just ask the spouse of a workaholic how she would feel if her husband took off a day each week to spend with family and friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not all sins are equal. Some are worse than others. The worst one of all? Committing evil in the name of God. This commandment is often misunderstood because it's mistranslated. It's not concerned with saying God's name "in vain" like "God, did I have a terrible day at the office!" It's about using God's name in the commission of evil. We see this today when Islamists invoke God's name while they murder innocent people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the idea of idol worship feels ancient and remote to many people. Thus, the Second Commandment, "You shall have no other gods," doesn't seem applicable in modern society. But the opposite is true. We have more false gods than ever -- art, education, fame, money, to name just a few. Over the past century, the worship of false gods has led to massive evil; Communism and Nazism are just two examples. On a personal level, the worship of false gods leads to unhappiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the First Commandment ("I am the Lord your God") appears simple at first glance, it actually set into motion the most revolutionary idea in human history -- ethical monotheism, the belief that there is one God whose main wish is that people treat each other decently. Dennis Prager explains that without this commandment, the following nine mean little. With it, the Ten Commandments become world-changing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The customer is always right" is a motto we hear often, and it suggests that consumers only have rights, and businesses only have obligations. That is wrong. Dennis Prager explains that customers, too, have obligations, and should never take up a salesperson's time to inquire about an item they know they'll purchase elsewhere. In 5 minutes, learn how to shop ethically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most persecuted and victimized people in the world today are Christians in the Middle East. The perpetrators of the widespread destruction of that region's Christian community? Islamists. Middle East expert Raymond Ibrahim lays out the grim details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Progressive Income Tax" is one of those economic terms that gets bandied about, but few actually know what it means or how it works. This tale of three similar brothers with three different incomes (but one shared expense) helps explain the tax system under which we live. Adapted from an article by noted investor and economist, Kip Hagopian, and narrated by actress Carolyn Hennesy of "General Hospital" and "True Blood" fame, this animated story will change the way you think about how you pay your taxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the perfect minimum wage: is it $10 an hour? $15? $20? How about zero? That's right. Zero. While Congress discusses a minimum wage hike, economist David Henderson shows that any minimum wage makes it harder for unemployed people (particularly young people) to find work, and forces business owners to cut the hours of lower-skilled employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To call someone a racist is a serious charge. A racist is someone who believes that one person is superior (or inferior) to another person simply based on their skin color. It's a belief that is both foolish and stupid. But conservatives are accused by progressives of being racist on an almost daily basis. Is it a fair accusation? Or, is it just political posturing? And, if it is political posturing, what does it say about the people making the charge? Derryck Green of Project 21 has some provocative answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Israel an "apartheid state," as its enemies claim? Who better to answer that charge than a black South African who lived through apartheid? Kenneth Meshoe, a member of the South African parliament, fits that bill. He examines the evidence against Israel, and draws a compelling conclusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel is a vibrant democracy with full rights for women and gays, a free press and independent judiciary. You would think that the United Nations would celebrate such a country. Instead, the UN condemns Israel at every turn to the point of obsession. How did this happen? Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights, explains in five eye-opening minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, many academics and others have condemned President Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as unnecessary and immoral. Yet this interpretation relies on a poor understanding of history that both lacks perspective and ignores context. Dropping the bomb shortened the war and saved countless lives -- both American and Japanese. In five minutes, Professor of History at Notre Dame, Father Wilson Miscamble, explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For two millennia, great artists set the standard for beauty. Now those standards are gone. Modern art is a competition between the ugly and the twisted; the most shocking wins. What happened? How did the beautiful come to be reviled and bad taste come to be celebrated? Renowned artist Robert Florczak explains the history and the mystery behind this change and how it can be stopped and even reversed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are most college professors liberal? Yes, says Penn State Associate Professor of Political Science and Philosophy Matthew Woessner. Perhaps surprisingly, however, his research shows that liberal bias does not seem to influence right-leaning students. Rather, it insulates left-leaning students, hindering their ability to critically analyze their own ideas. In five minutes, learn more about college liberal bias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wish I were ___"? Adjectives may have included: thinner, taller, smarter, etc. If so, you're like virtually everyone else, and afflicted by "The Missing Tile Syndrome." As Dennis Prager explains, we often focus on the missing tile(s) in our lives, which robs us of happiness. In five minutes, learn how to fix your focus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isn't human suffering proof that a just, all-powerful God must not exist? On the contrary, says Boston College Professor of Philosophy Peter Kreeft. How can "suffering" exist without an objective standard against which to judge it? Absent a standard, there is no justice. If there is no justice, there is no injustice. And if there is no injustice, there is no suffering. On the other hand, if justice exists, God exists. In five minutes, learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are some countries rich and some countries poor? Is it access to natural resources? Is it tax policy? A motivated work force? These are important, but not determinative. The answer is deceptively simple - it's what's in our heads: knowledge. Thus, the surest way to promote economic growth is to cultivate an environment that encourages the spread of knowledge. Such an environment requires freedom, which is why the freest societies are the most prosperous. In five minutes, economist George Gilder explains why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a dilemma in American education. On the one hand, teachers are essential to student achievement. On the other, teachers unions promote self-interests of their members which are antithetical to the interests of students. So, how do we fix this problem? In five minutes, Terry Moe, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, delineates this quandary and offers solutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest strategy employed by those who wish to strangle Israel is called BDS. It may sound harmless, but do not be fooled. It stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and not only is it poisonous for Israel, but for the world as well. Israel is one of the freest countries on earth, where everyone -- including Arabs -- benefit from that freedom. If Israel continues to be singled out by BDS and suffocated economically, the damage would ripple throughout the globe. In five minutes, learn about BDS and why it must be stopped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you believe us if we said that the best litmus test of any society's success is its attitude towards Israel? Well, it's true. As George Gilder explains, whether a society envies and resents Israel's success or celebrates and tries to replicate it is indicative of that society's progress. Countries that "pass" the "Israel Test" tend to rise. Those who don't tend to sink. So, does your society pass the "Israel Test"? In five minutes, find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did the United States win or lose the Vietnam War? We are taught that it was a resounding loss for America, one that proves that intervening in the affairs of other nations is usually misguided. The truth is that our military won the war, but our politicians lost it. The Communists in North Vietnam actually signed a peace treaty, effectively surrendering. But the U.S. Congress didn't hold up its end of the bargain. In just five minutes, learn the truth about who really lost the Vietnam War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Built into the foundation of free enterprise is a promise. It's a promise that no other economic system offers. This promise has a great deal to do with your sense of well-being, that is, your happiness. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton understood this. So does renowned social scientist, Arthur Brooks. In five minutes, he explains how happiness and free enterprise are marvelously entwined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new history of the Great Depression is emerging. One that acknowledges the role that government played in causing and prolonging it, and the constructive role that free enterprise could have played, if it were given the chance. In this video, UCLA economist Lee Ohanian explains how Herbert Hoover, widely misunderstood as a champion of the free market, actually turned what should have just been a recession into a depression due to his mistrust of the market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices