The Hopeful Majority with Manu Meel

What’s wrong with America’s political system? Who will win in 2024? Tune in this week as Manu sits down with former presidential candidate and leader of the Forward Party, Andrew Yang. In this episode, we discuss Trump and Biden, the deterioration of American politics, the division we see in America, and what we can do about these problems. Episode #12 GUEST: Meet Andrew Yang, former presidential...

Do local politics offer a way out of our toxic polarization? Are we too focused on presidential elections? Join us this week as Manu sits down with Deke Copenhaver, former mayor of Augusta Georgia to answer this question. In this episode we discuss a variety of topics ranging from what makes a great leader, to Deke’s experience as a mayor. Meet Deke Copenhaver, change maker and former mayor of Aug...

What would MLK say? Join us this week as Manu sits down with Jonathan Eig to discuss his book King, a Life. In this episode we discuss King’s successes and failures, his accomplishments, goals and struggles. Tune in and hear expert opinions on what Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. would have said about America today. Meet Jonathan Eig, author of "King, a Life".  Episode #10 Question: what would...

What’s wrong with activism today? Is activism actually leading to change? From Trump supporters, to Black Lives Matter, it seems many of today's activists are focused on critique and tearing down. Is this the right approach? Sit down with Manu and Eboo as they discuss where modern activism comes up short.  Meet Eboo Patel, the founder and president of Interfaith America Episode #9 QUESTION: W...

Are we really that divided? Conventional wisdom says yes. But I want to dig deeper and challenge this notion. Join Tom and I as we challenge the conventional narrative. Believe it or not, I learned that 9/10 Americans agree on 6 core values. 87% are exhausted by our politics. And the media covers divisive politicians 4x more than the problem-solvers. In fact, there’s a lot to be hopeful about. Mee...

We live at a time where our politics define our identity, and we are often reduced down to our political labels and identity. Join Amir and I as we explore what it means to think for ourselves, be open-minded, and avoid the tribalism of our politics. It’s time to overcome our labels. We discuss Black Lives Matter, Trump, 2024, and the LGBTQ+ community.  Episode #7 QUESTION: How do we overcome...

What do young people think about our democracy? Meet the leaders of BridgeUSA, the largest and fastest growing youth movement reducing polarization in the country.  Episode #6 QUESTION: What does Gen-Z think about American democracy?  Episode #6 GUESTS: Ross Irwin, Co-Founder and COO of BridgeUSA | Jess Carpenter, Chief Marketing Officer of BridgeUSA | Emily Green, National Director of Y...

It’s 1 day before the 4th of July. This conversation is about what our country is missing. And how we can write the next 247 years in America’s ambitious story. Join Sophie and I as we celebrate in true Gen-Z fashion. Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸🇺🇸  Episode #5 QUESTION: Is America possible?  Episode #5 GUEST: Sophie Beren. Sophie founded the non-partisan educational media brand The Conversation...

How do we create hope in America? Join Isabel and I as we explore the complexity of America from a more conservative perspective and advance a new, unifying way to appreciate America. Given how polarized we are, it’s difficult to find hope and be optimistic. With a Trump-Biden 2024 rematch looming, many are pessimistic or discouraged. And yet, we must inculcate a sense of purpose that bridges poli...

Today is Juneteenth . Many Americans believe commemorating Juneteenth is an essential part of American history. While others believe Juneteenth is an ideological holiday. This conversation with Jeremi Suri is fascinating because it helped me navigate the complexity of American history on a day like today. Perhaps patriotism means both admiration and critique...Professor Jeremi Suri...

Yes, you found us out of the other 5,000,000 podcasts- this one will be worth it! The Hopeful Majority is a weekly show where we have nuanced conversations and fight outrage.  Each episode will focus on one question, and the episode will be divided into two sections: 1) my introduction 2) a nuanced conversation with a guest.  Episode #2 QUESTION: Why is it so hard to find hope and bring...

Yes, you found us out of the other 5,000,000 podcasts- this one will be worth it! The Hopeful Majority is a weekly show where we have nuanced conversations and fight outrage.  Each episode will focus on one question, and the episode will be divided into two sections: 1) my thoughts 2) a nuanced conversation with a guest.  Episode #1 question: What actually is the Hopeful Majority and why...