How Do We Fix It?

In 2017, data analyst Wesley Warshawer was shocked by a poll that said 50% of Americans supported Donald Trump, about half lived with a gun their home, and a third believed in a literal reading of The Book of Genesis.

This didn’t match the views of anyone he knew in Silicon Valley, California. What he read about our country's deep divides led him to sell his apartment in San Jose and spend 18 months living in some of the m...

What role does the news media play in polarizing us? How do print, radio, TV, and online journalists reinforce our views of the world rather than connecting us to all sides of an issue? 

Our guest is John Gable, co-founder and CEO of AllSides.com, which rates news media sites for bias, organizes citizen roundtables, and links readers every day to coverage from left, right, and center-biased media. AllSides presents major ne...

Here’s something many Democrats and Republicans agree on: The way we debate and discuss politics is messed up. We talk past each other instead of getting things done. Huge amounts of time and money are wasted on bickering and bravado. Neither political party has built a lasting coalition to deal with the most urgent problems of the day. 

In this podcast we look something local and practical: New Hampshire’s expe...

Here’s the bad news about civic renewal: It will not come easily or quickly. Toxic divides won’t be dramatically reduced because of one person or a dramatic election result. Renewal of America’s civic culture will require enormous effort in every state of the nation.

Now the good news. Everyone can make a difference. Participation in renewal requires neither money nor fame. It begins with all of us. Locally and...

“Braver Angels events always leave me hopeful and energized,” says Yuval Levin of the recent Convention in Philadelphia. 

“A lot of people from different parts of our politics, from different parts of our country, from different parts of our economy come together and express a a kind of conviction that ultimately our country matters more than our parties, and our country matters more than ideological convi...

Immigration law reform and enforcement is a very heated and emotional issue. In recent years, no public policy has been discussed with more outrage, demonization, and disgust. Both sides of the immigration debate demand total victory. But their all-or-nothing approach has resulted in nothing. No major immigration reform legislation has been signed into law in three decades.

Perhaps it’s time for less emotion and more respe...

Something remarkable happened in Philadelphia, days before America celebrated its 250th birthday and streets away from where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Nearly 900 Braver Angels delegates at their Convention signed a pledge to be courageous citizens.

Being a courageous citizen stands in proud contrast to easy citizenship. In America’s current culture of contempt, it’s courageous to build, not destroy....

It's very easy to be outraged or depressed about American politics today, and much more challenging and interesting to consider how things might be better. Instead of dismissing our political opponents or viewing them with disdain or disgust, how can we understand them better and learn from them?

That's where Braver Angels 1:1 Conversations come in. Two people from different backgrounds and beliefs use a structured list of ...

One week before America celebrates its 250th birthday, Braver Angels will hold its annual convention in Philadelphia, the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

More than one thousand citizen delegates— Blues, Reds, and Independents— will be in the same place together over four days, June 25-28. They will honor the final words of the Declaration's authors: “we mu...

The nation has been shaken by violence yet again. The assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents Dinner was another jarring tear in the fabric of our public life. Every day Americans also hear divisive, angry, rhetoric from national political leaders and media pundits. 

On "How Do We Fix It? we discuss how growing numbers of Americans are pushing back against toxic divide...

Right now is a really difficult time to convince Americans to come together and listen to the other side. How can we be hopeful at a time of so much anger, division, violence and despair when our political leaders speak with such venom about their opponents?

“What we’re doing now is sorting into our tribes and silos,” says our guest Maryanne Colter, state coordinator for Braver Angels of Illinois...

Braver Angels Ambassadors are among the most courageous of courageous citizens.

Not only do they bridge the partisan divide, these volunteers meet people where they are. At meetings and events across the country, they go speak about Braver Angels as they try to convince skeptics that rebuilding civic trust is a cause worth supporting. 

In this episode, we hear from Barbara Hancin and Ron “Sugar Bear&...

Is it possible to find points of agreement on some of the most heated and divisive issues in American politics? Can people who profoundly disagree sit down and learn from each other? The answers to both questions is an emphatic "yes!".

In this episode we hear about the current work of the Citizens Commission on Immigration from its Director, Braver Angels co-founder, David Lapp. 

The goal of the Citizens C...

Conflict entrepreneurs get money, influence and power by sparking anger and outrage. The Braver Angels call for courageous citizenship does precisely the opposite. In this podcast we hear the case for citizen power not paralysis, action not reaction, and why building America's civic muscle is so much better than burning things down.

Here is a passionate, thoughtful and curious conversation between Braver Ange...

The recent immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to several thousand arrests, mass detentions, angry protests, deepening political divides, and the deaths of two US citizens in Minneapolis is coming to an end. 

What’s life been like for the residents of the Twin Cities during the recent surge of at least three thousand ICE agents on the streets? How will Braver Angels ...

If we’re going to get out of the political mess that we’re in right now, we will need a lot of help from Gen Z. Young people inherited our broken civic space, and they’re ones who will be the courageous citizens who   reimagine it.

In this episode we learn from two former Braver Angels debate interns, Natalie LaRoche and Genevieve Raushenbush, about the skills, energ...

For many Americans, taking part in a debate is just about the last thing they’d put on their dance card.

But Braver Angels debates are different. In this episode Sam Rechek explains why.

“Braver Angels debates are fun,” Sam tells us. “We’ve created a structure where people can have productive disagreements about contentious issues. That’s something many yearn for, and they ge...

Pick a controversial topic. Whether it’s immigration, race, climate change, the role of religion, or the economy, many of our assumptions that we view as completely reasonable can seem whacky or wrong to others. This may well include very smart, thoughtful people, who’ve had very different life experiences than our own.

Our guest for this episode is Chauncey Williams, a Democratic-leaning Braver Angels...

More than at any time in our nation’s history, news coverage of politics and public events is dominated by national media, but many of the solutions to Americans toxic partisan divides are to be found at the local level.

In this episode we hear from Steve Saltwick, the inaugural Senior Fellow of Braver Angels, and founding conservative co-chair of the Braver Angels Central Texas Alliance. ...