How Do We Fix It?

Americans are divided by geography. Most of us live in  overwhelmingly red or blue Congressional Districts.  We are less likely than ever to know someone from the other side of the political spectrum. We are often misinformed about what members of the other tribe actually believe.  In this episode we speak with Kirk Tatnall, Starla Brown, and Cade Smith about a  Braver Ang...

Political speech in America is all too often dominated by hyperbole. We don’t just disagree, we find those on the other side to be offensive or even worse. All too often the language of curiosity, nuance and humility is missing from our dialog. In this episode we look at a novel way to reach across the divide. During the spring,  Minnesota Braver Angels...

What is America’s role in a dramatically changing world? How does the health of our democracy impact other nations? In this episode we hear a rich mix of ideas in a conversation with podcaster, commentator, and former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor  Ben Rhodes . “Young people today are going to have to imagine a new US government and a new set of international institutions,” says Ben....

If you’re disturbed or simply turned off by America's rigid political divisions this is the show for you. We discuss creative skills and practices that put a little hope back in your political life Doug Teschner  and  Beth Malow  are co-authors of the forthcoming book "Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times." Their work buil...

Ten years ago this month we launched our first show at a time of new beginnings for podcasts. We were early to this game, and well before podcasting became part of mainstream media.  In contrast to other shows about politics and current affairs we ran against the grain, avoiding snarky slogans and angry attacks. How Do We Fix It? focused instead on solutions journalism and what...

We release this show at a moment of high political drama. Economics, financial markets, and America’s relations with the rest of the world are in a state of tumult. So how on earth do we talk with and listen to people on the other side? Should you even try?  Jessie Mannisto , Director of Debates at Braver Angels says “yes!”  In this episode we learn why understanding those who you d...

I don’t do this work in optimism. I do it in hope”,  Braver Angels  President  David Blankenhorn  tells our podcast. “If we’re going to have any chance to fix this and save our country, this is what needs to be done.” Soon after the tumultuous 2016 election Braver Angels sprung to life— co-founded by David, Bill Doherty and David Lapp. Two years after its founding this nationwi...

What do you think of people who you totally disagree with about politics? Can you listen to their point of view and have a constructive conversation? Do you dismiss the other side as evil or deplorable? In this episode we hear from  Wilk Wilkinson , a Christian conservative who voted for Donald Trump. He has working class roots and grew up poor. A decade ago Wilk was enraged at liberals, but...

In the five years since the COVID pandemic began, trust in public health institutions and vaccines has plummeted. According to  a new opinion poll , just over half of the public now says they trust the Food and Drug Administration to make the right recommendations on health issues at least “a fair amount,” down from nearly two-thirds (65%) in June 2023.  About 1 in 4 Republicans par...

How Do We Fix It? raises questions about solutions to divisive topics of politics and public policy: Decidedly secular matters. In this episode we look at how religious groups and institutions can help bring people together across divides.  Braver Faith  is our focus. The Right Rev.  Mark Beckwith  is our guest. Braver Faith is one the newest and most vibrant gro...

In the fall 2024, a young British filmmaker jumped in a small car and drove across America, asking more than 200 strangers the same two questions: "How did we lose connection with our neighbors, and how do we get it back?" Many of the answers and explanations are fascinating. "I am a firm believer that developing a curiosity or a curiosity in strangers is the cure for a polarized and isolated...

The holiday season is here, but many people across the country may dread sitting down with their nearest and dearest— all because of politics. In this episode we share down-to-earth advice from two wise experts who have thought deeply and creatively about how to minimize conflict and maximize cooperation with parents, family, and friends. Tania Israel  is a Professor of Counseling Psychology...

Some wore red hats, others wore blue. Outside scores of polling places in many states across the country, pairs of Democrats and Republicans sat together in a radically simple experiment called the Braver Angels Election Day Initiative. The contrast between dire media forecasts of violence, and calamity during the election and what actually happened was stark. Th...

Do you believe what you see in newspapers, websites and on TV? Most Americans don't trust the people who are supposed to truthfully report the news.  A new Gallup poll  says Americans have record-low trust in mass media. Only one-in-three adults has a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of confidence in the media to report the news "fully, accurately and fairly." More than 150,000...

Are you fed up with politics and especially the presidential campaign? On How Do We Fix It? we're reporting on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels. This nationwide citizen-led movement is a growing coalition of liberals and conservatives working to  restore hope  and co-operation to our politics.  In this episode we speak with a second pair of Red-Blue volunteers who wil...

These final days before the election are  tense times . Today’s toxic politics are  hurtful and heart breaking  for many of us. Maybe we all need a hope vaccine. An injection of kindness, curiosity and understanding for those who see the world differently than we do.  In our latest report on the work, ideas, and people of  Braver Angels , the nationwide citizen-led campaig...

Elections are vital to all democracies: The authority of the government comes solely from the consent of the governed. But millions of Americans  don’t trust the electoral process  and have highly  negative views of politics .. Many have little or no confidence that all votes will be fairly and accurately counted.  What should be done to improve our elections? We discuss reform...

Braver Angels is addressing a huge threat that could disrupt the future of our democratic republic: The rigid, often bitter, divisions between reds and blues. While nearly four in ten voters identify as "independent", more than nine in ten Americans fall into one of two broad categories. They identify as either conservative or liberal leaning and tend to vote for either Republicans or Democrats. "...

“I don’t do this work in optimism. I do it in hope”,  Braver Angels  President  David Blankenhorn  tells us. “If we’re going to have any chance to fix this and save our country, this is what needs to be done.” Soon after the tumultuous 2016 election Braver Angels sprung to life— co-founded by David, Bill Doherty and David Lapp. Two years after its founding this nationwide volun...

When renowned physician-scientist  Francis Collins  was about to have his first conversation with Christian conservative Wilk Wilkinson in early 2022, he admits that he had concerns. "I thought oh boy, this is going to be a tough one".  Dr. Collins had recently stepped down as Director of NIH— The National Institutes of Health. He served under Presidents Obama, T...

Toxic polarization is "the problem that eats all other problems... It's the sludge at the base of everything else," says our guest  Mónica Guzmán . Think how much progress could be made on the great problems of today if politics were much more about discovering nuance than shouting slogans. This show is our second episode on the work, people, and ideas of the volunteer-led cross-partisan camp...

This is our first in a series of new reports on the work, people and projects of  Braver Angels — the largest volunteer-led group in the bridging community. The show was recorded a few days after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Our guests are  Jessie Mannisto  and  Luke Nathan Phillips , who spent this week in Milwaukee, right outside the Fiserv Forum Arena, sit...

In the last episode Jim Meigs and Richard Davies celebrated more than nine years as co-hosts. They also announced that their podcasting partnership was ending. But "How Do We Fix It?" is not going away. Instead we plan to focus on something we've covered a great deal recently, and is of urgent importance right now: The broken nature of American politics. In the weeks to come, Richar...

When we first started our podcast in the spring of 2015, Jim and Richard came from different political tribes. They still do. But during more than 400 shows they've deepened their friendship and learned a tremendous amount from each other, and our remarkable guests. While "How Do We Fix It?" podcast will continue its journey, Jim and Richard's nine years as co-hosts ends with this show. We di...

Supporters of Ranked Choice Voting argue that we need to a big change how we vote. Our “choose-one” elections, they say, deprive voters of meaningful choices, create increasingly toxic campaign cycles, advance candidates who lack broad support and leave voters feeling like our voices are not heard.  We examine the case for this form of proportional representation. Ranked Choice Voting co...