How Do We Fix It?

America's remarkable experiment in a pluralist democracy is under threat from toxic polarization. In this episode, we discuss two current nationwide campaigns to tackle this crisis head-on,America Talks, on Saturday-Sunday, June 12-13, is a powerful conversation event that invites thousands of Americans to connect one-on-one on video across our political divides. By doing so, we remind ourselves that the “other” is – just like us – a person with family, friends, hopes, fears, values, beliefs, and intrinsic worth.The fourth annual National Week of Conversation, June 14-20, organized by #ListenFirst Coalition and over 300 organizations, invites Americans of all views and backgrounds to listen and discover common interests. Sign up for both events at AmericaTalks.us.Our guests are Kristin Hansen, Executive Director of Civic Health Project, Director at AllSides, and 17-year-old Zoë Jenkins, a civic activist who founded DICCE — diversity, inclusion, cultu

The word “peacebuilding” evokes a story we’ve all heard over and over: Violence breaks out, foreign nations react, peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement, and, sadly, within months the situation is back to where it started—sometimes worse. But peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. What are some strategies that work?Our guest is an award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, Séverine Autesserre, author of the new book, "The Frontlines of Peace". She shares success stories — innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people, at times supported by foreigners, often employing methods shunned by the international elite. In this episode, we look at examples of local initiatives that build lasting peace. We examine how they differ from the top-down "Peace Inc." approach that can waste billions of dollars in aid and involve massive international interventions.Séverine shows the radical c

"We should be humble all the time," says Veronique de Rugy of her study of economics. "There's always something I realize that I didn't understand."  In this episode, we discuss the rigorous questions economists need to ask themselves when analyzing the likely impacts of public policies: Questions rarely asked by politicians and others in the public square. We look at the perils of cronyism, the shortcomings of the Ex-Im Bank, growing federal budget deficits, and the unfairness of the highly complex U.S. tax system.Veronique is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She writes a syndicated column looking at economics from a free market, libertarian perspective.Featured quote: "People don't go to the barricades to fight for distortions and economic inefficiency but they should go to the barricades to fight unfairness and cronyism that is unfair."Recommendation: Jim is listening to "The Moment", a podcast with interviews

It's tempting to believe that our current moment is the most urgent of all. Yet despite the catastrophic pandemic, and threats from other urgent problems, humankind has faced worse calamities in the past— from global wars and plagues to economic collapse.In this episode, we look at age-old lessons from philosophy and discover how ancient wisdom can be our guide in modern times.Best-selling author, traveler, and former NPR foreign correspondent, Eric Weiner is our guide. He's the author of the recent book, "The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers".This episode is a fun ride,  as we follow in the footsteps of history’s greatest thinkers—from Epicurus to Nietzsche, Thoreau to Gandhi— who show us practical and spiritual lessons for today’s unsettled times. Philosophy helps us during our struggle with disturbing questions raised by the pandemic: How can we remain calm in an uncertain age? How do we endure tough times? There

She lived in Seattle and covered science, climate change, and the environment for NPR for more than a decade. Most of her friends and colleagues were liberals or progressives. Then in 2018, journalist Ashley Ahearn made a big jump, moving with her husband to one of the most conservative counties in rural Washington State.  What did this public radio reporter learn from her dramatic change in lifestyle? In this episode, we learn about the profound rural-urban divide in America, and what Ashley discovered about her new neighbors and herself when she switched from the city to the country, now living on a 20-acre property with a horse and a pickup truck. We also discuss how politics and views of the land and climate differ greatly according to where people live.Recently, Ashley Ahearn launched her remarkable 8-part podcast series, Grouse, which looks at life in rural America through the lens of the most controversial bird in the West — the greater sage-grouse. This podcast series is

Too often in our fierce and narrow political debates, we suffer from a poverty of imagination. Seeing a crisis through a narrow lens of "us versus them" is a barrier to creative solutions and vital changes needed to save lives, protect the planet, and grow prosperity.In this episode we discuss the enormous power and potential of framing: mental models that enable us to see patterns, predict how things will unfold, and understand new situations.Our guests are Kenneth Cukier, a senior editor at The Economist in London, and Francis de Véricourt, professor of management science at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. They are two of the co-authors of the new book, "Framers. Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil."Real-world examples of how framers changed the world include: The rapid rise of #MeToo, which went viral on Twitter after the actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a request to her followers: “If you’ve been sexually harassed o

In the months after George Floyd’s murder, colleges, universities, non-profits, and large corporations across the country embraced anti-racism and diversity training as a way to promote inclusion and racial justice.But do these programs actually work to change minds and achieve their goals? Our guest, associate professor of History at Carleton College, Amna Khalid, argues that while training can improve customer service and knowledge of CPR and Excel spreadsheets, it’s woefully inadequate when confronting complex social problems such as poverty, inequality, discrimination, and racism. Amna grew up under several military dictatorships in Pakistan and came to the U.S. with a passionate commitment to free speech and belief in the power of education to promote curiosity, understanding, and imagination."Through all my journeys what I've come to realize is that people are individuals more than any category that you can put them into," Amna t

What’s the greatest crisis facing America today? — Racism and hate crimes, exploding government debt, climate change, or the mess at the border?It may be none of these. America and many other countries are trapped in high conflict. Both sides are paralyzed by fear and anger as they demonize the other. The national narrative of "us versus them" is a threat to democracy and stops us from working together to build a better world.Best-selling author and investigative journalist, Amanda Ripley, is our guest. She is well-known for her writing in The Atlantic, Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Her latest book is “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."Amanda argues that good conflict involves nuance and complexity. It can teach us to be better people, who are capable of solutions as they move past misunderstandings. Many are trapped in high conflict, which is threatening to tear us apart, creating an even deeper crisis than we have

We’ve made it to our 300th weekly episode! While it’s easy to congratulate ourselves for being among the few podcasts to produce this many shows, Jim and Richard are most proud of our extraordinary range of guests.During our first six years together, we've often highlighted out-of-the-box thinkers, who share ideas that are too rarely discussed: People who speak about solutions through an independent lens— neither firmly left nor right. For this episode, we revisit interviews with six guests— or roughly 2% of all the people we've spoken with for "How Do We Fix It?" We begin with the public intellectual and problem solver Philip K. Howard, who was our very first guest. Others featured here are Claire Cain Miller of The Upshot at The New York Times, Mike Rowe, who became famous with the TV show "Dirty Jobs", science evangelist, Ainissa Ramirez, Jerry Taylor, President and Founder of The Niskanen Center, and R&B musician Daryl Dav

Recent mass shootings and the explosion of rage outside the U.S. Capitol on January 6 are reminders of threats posed to us all by anger, fear and loathing. On social media and in the hyper-partisan ways political issues are debated, many of us objectify others. Those who belong to the wrong tribe are often targets of personal scorn.In a Twitter post, our guest, writer and entrepreneur, Chloé Valdary, says: "if you do not possess the power to love, and especially love your enemies, then you don't really have the power."In this episode, first released in 2020, Chloé talks about her antiracism program, Theory of Enchantment, which uses the music and messaging of Beyoncé, Disney movies and pop culture as educational tools, teaching social and emotional learning in schools, and diversity and inclusion in companies and government agencies. The three key principles involve:1. We are human beings, not political abstractions.2. Use criticism to uplift, not tear down.3. Lead with love and

Stifle that yawn. Infrastructure just got exciting again.President Biden announced a $2 trillion plan to rebuild roads and rails, repair bridges, modernize airports and seaports, create hundreds of thousands of union jobs in the solar and wind power industries, boost housing, expand broadband access to regions that are poorly served, and speed-up the transition to a climate-friendly economy. Total spending on his proposals could be as much as $4 trillion over the next decade. We explain the President's ambitious plan, which amounts to the biggest spending initiatives in decades, and look at how to pay for it with one of the nation's top experts on the budget and taxes— Maya MacGuineas, President of the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.Maya MacGuineas praises recent efforts to spend big on COVID relief, and also discusses ways to restore fiscal balance through reducing unproductive tax breaks, and reforming the tax code. "The bad news is that we had a m

Our lives depend on it and most of us don't give it a moment's thought. But when the electricity goes off we feel frustrated— powerless.America's grid was an engineering triumph of the twentieth century, but as the recent sudden freeze and severe power outages in Texas have shown, our electricity infrastructure is fragile and in need of basic repair, especially as the world faces the growing reality of extreme weather events and climate change. On their own solar and wind power are not enough to meet rapidly growing electricity demand. What are other viable, carbon-free alternatives?We discuss strengthening the grid, re-imaging it according to modern values, and our relationship with electricity with cultural anthropologist, Gretchen Bakke, author of "The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future.""It's not just that electricity is a modern marvel," Gretchen tells us in this episode. "It almost starts to feel like a natural right. With the pan

Our obsession with what is normal and acceptable is at the heart of how we view mental health. It is also the source of stigma around many forms of mental illness. In this podcast with anthropology professor, Richard Grinker, we ask how do we fix it? What are successful ways to challenge stigmas, as we help millions of people reach their full potential? Richard discusses the findings in his uplifting new book, "Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness."Social distancing, remote learning, and disruption of social supports during the COVID pandemic are likely to lead to an even greater crisis of mental illness. But Richard sees hope in this moment. "The pandemic provides us with an opportunity to make progress in destigmatizing mental illness," he tells us.Though the legacies of shame and secrecy are still with us today, Richard says that we are at the cusp of ending the marginalization of the mentally ill. In the twenty-first century, mental illnesses are fast

When social media burst on the scene, many of us were in awe of its great potential. For the first ten years of Facebook, public reaction to this new form of communication was overwhelmingly positive, but now that we have a better understanding of how social media is shaping our world, there are growing calls for fundamental reform. Should tech monopolies be cut down to size and broken apart? Or is a much more careful, nuanced approach needed from Congress? MIT Management Professor Sinan Aral has spent two decades studying how social media changed American politics, the economy, and even our personal health. He is the author of the recent book, "The Hype Machine". As an entrepreneur and investor, he has a deep understanding of the perils and promise of social media. We publish extracts from his interview with the podcast, "Democracy Works". "We absolutely must get past this question of is social media good or evil," says Sinan Aral. "The answer is 'yes'. The q

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur and out-of-this-world thinker, who has shaken up two vital industries that were dominated by giant multinational corporations with companies that began life as startups. Tesla's breakthrough with electric cars is well-known, but many of Musk's most stunning innovations have come with SpaceX, which pioneered reusable rockets— slashing the cost of space launches— flew astronauts into space, and landed rockets on boats. Next is the development of Starship. Musk also wants to send hundreds if not thousands of humans to Mars. Our guest, Eric Berger, is a senior editor at space and technology news website, Ars Technica, and author of the new book, "Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched Space X." He takes us on a fascinating journey, as we look at the remarkable changes in the space race, and what may be coming in the next few years."This is the most exciting time to write and think about space in my lifetime," Eric tel

The January assault on the U.S. Capitol and the depth of toxic partisanship lead us to question our past assumptions about the American electorate and its relationship with the government.This episode features two experts who have spent many years trying to understand us. Frank Luntz is one of the best-known pollsters and political communications experts in America today. We hear edited extracts from a recent interview he recorded with Harvard Law School Professor and attorney, Lawrence Lessig, on the podcast, "Another Way by Lawrence Lessig".Ethan Porter is an assistant professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, and the author of the new book "The Consumer Citizen" He investigates how voters' everyday experiences as shoppers and consumers influence their political behavior. We hear extracts from his interview on the podcast, "Politics in Question"."How Do We Fix It?" and both of the podcasts featured in this episode are members of The Democracy G

Even before the alarming and violent January 6 assault on the Capitol, American politics was in danger of spinning out of control— bumping up against the guardrails of our democratic institutions.On social media and in the civic square, many have separated into two camps that seem to hate the other side. We have become estranged from family and friends over politics.More than ever, we need nuance. In this episode, our guest is a liberal writer and feminist, Meghan Daum, who is increasingly critical of her own side: the left. Meghan wrote the book, “The Problem With Everything. My Journey Through The New Culture Wars.” She’s also the host of “The Unspeakable”, a podcast that celebrates disagreement and encourages guests to speak uncomfortable truths. “We are not allowing ourselves to sort through our confusions. You have to be on one side or the other,” says Meghan. “If you’re not conflicted, you are either lying to yourself, or you’re not very smart.”Recommendation: Jim reco

More than 10% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but injection rates are lower in black and brown communities, and many people express doubts about the shots made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Vaccine hesitancy presents a barrier in the fight against coronavirus. A recent poll by Pew Research Center found that "Black Americans continue to stand out as less inclined to get vaccinated than other racial and ethnic groups: 42% would do so, compared with 63% of Hispanic and 61% of White adults."Our guest, Dr. Wrenetha Julion, professor and department chair at Rush University College of Nursing, discusses causes of vaccine hesitancy and how to encourage more people to take a high-effective vaccine against the virus.  Vaccine hesitancy "is a significant problem," says Wrenetha. "It stems from a long history of mistrust and mistreatment of African-Americans and other groups in healthcare systems and research. Unfortunately, tho

After the recent storming of the US Capitol and the loss of both the White House and U.S. Senate, it's tempting to believe that civil war will break out among Republicans— a party deeply split between traditional conservatives and Trump-supporting populists.We decided to find out what two young Republicans say about the future of their party, and the need to confront those who believe in conspiracy theories and are nostalgic for a return to a mythical past.  Our guests are Danielle Butcher and John Olds. Danielle, who was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List, co-founded the American Conservation Coalition, a non-profit group that backs free-market solutions for environmental problems. John Olds, Executive Director of Gen Z GOP, is a Republican activist and senior at George Washington University.Both Butcher and Olds are outspoken critics of Donald Trump. They believe that Republicans must develop constructive policies on climate change, racial inequities and student debt. Both support ma

Even before coronavirus led to social distancing, widespread working from home, and lockdown restrictions, loneliness was becoming a defining condition of the twenty-first century. Today, this pandemic of pain and isolation is far worse. One of many recent polls found that more than three in five Americans say they are lonely, with more and more people reporting feeling like they are left out, poorly understood, and lacking companionship. Other surveys overseas have similar findings.Our guest, the British economist, Noreena Hertz, is the author of "The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World Pulling Apart." Her new book, published February 2, is a personal and deeply-researched investigation into the roots of the loneliness epidemic, how the pandemic and the 2020 election exacerbated the problem, and what we can do to come together. "Loneliness levels have significantly and not surprisingly increased during the pandemic, particularly among the young, women, and people of low incom