America's Why Project

In the second half of our conversation with historian Jeremy Suri, we turn from America’s complex past to the pressing question of how leadership works today in a time of turbulence and distrust. From Lincoln’s unexpected transformation to the barriers that prevent capable leaders from rising, Suri explores what history can teach us about strengthening democracy. He examines the structural forces shaping our politics, the everyday ...

 What happens when a country loses its unifying story? When the story of 1776 squares off against the story of 1619, when the smoldering legacies of the Civil War erupt into 21st-century culture wars?  In this episode, historian and bestselling author Professor Jeremi Suri joins host Matt Levinger to dig into the tangled roots of American identity. From 1619 to 1776, from Civil War legacies to today’s culture wars, Suri unpacks how...

Last week, Dr. David Rock showed us how fear hijacks the brain. This week, he flips the script by diving into the power of love. Host Matt Levinger and Dr. Rock looks into the high-reward states that unlock people’s capacity to care, create, and collaborate despite the presence of stress and social tension in our day-to-day lives. Through tiny shifts in status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness, our minds can find calm...

Modern life pushes our brains in ways they were never built to handle. In this episode, Dr. David Rock, neuroscientist, bestselling author, and the creator of the SCARF™ model*, joins host Matt Levinger to reveal why fear, uncertainty, and social threats so often hijack our thinking. Together, they unpack the hidden neural patterns that shape how we collaborate, lead, and respond to conflict, and explore practical tools for keeping...