Society
Exploring "Why" questions about Society
481 articles
Why is the Upvote system flawed?
One major problem is that any people don't really bother reading more than the first page or two of comments. This means they're only seeing the top-rated comments, and upvoting those. Any comments th
Why do banks offer interest? What’s in it for them?
They get your money. Would you give money to a bank if you didn't get anything in return? The interest is a payment to you so you'll give them your money.
Why does the president need a daily intelligence briefing unless something big is happening?
Because something happens *every single day*. It's a big world with lots of moving pieces. Imagine that your best friend's house was burned down by someone.
Why don’t we use counties as congressional districts?
Because many states have a lot more counties than congressional districts, especially in the East. Illinois has about 100 counties, and 18 congressional districts.
Why has China devalued its currency, and what will that mean for other countries?
When your currency becomes stronger, it becomes much harder for you to export your country's goods, because your goods become more expensive for other countries. China doesn't want that because they a
Why can I buy something on eBay for $1 with free shipping from China, while anything I buy that is domestic (US) I always have to pay a few dollars for shipping.
That is the amount they are charging you for shipping, not what it actually costs. An extreme example would be "free shipping" - it's not actually free of course, the vendor is just eating the cost ar
Why do governments not put extra taxes on sugar, salt and fat to make the population healthier?
Take a look at how New York City's ban on large sodas went. Soda lobbies fought it. People didn't like it, they felt that the government was impeding on their freedom to consume how they deem fit.
Why does the U.S. support a dictatorial government in Yemen (a country under sharia law), denouncing the rebels, but has the exact opposite stance in Syria?
Because every geopolitical move America makes is based on either money, or power. Ideals dont even factor. If your totalitarian dictator supports American hegemony, he will get weapons and support, if
Why can’t shows like NCIS, Law and Order SVU, and Criminal Minds reference real world things?
Either to avoid it looking like a paid product placement, or to avoid the owner of the trademark complaining or even suing. For example, if a show revolves around a terrorist attack which was organize
Why do a lot of companies develop apps for iOS first, when Android holds 70% of the ‘Smart’ Market? (inspired by the new Reddit iOS app)
For many reasons, but the most obvious commercial reason is this: iOS users consistently spend more money buying apps, and buying in-app purchases, than Android users. Even though there are more Andro