Podcasts about common ground committee

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 discuss why the partnership is ending (spoiler alert: it's amicable!) and what they discovered about podcasting, politics, and how to navigate divisions at a time of rigid, painful divides."I feel like when we started, we were a couple of voices in the wilderness, searching for more open-minded conversations, looking for people willing to grapple with facts and ideas that don't fit their comfortable world views," says Jim."One of our last-minute decisions in those early days was to add a question mark to our title," says Richard. "I'm so glad we decided to do that, because fixing the current political mess starts with better listening and more challenging questions."In the years since we started our voices have grown into a movement. Some call it the bridging space with organizations such as Braver Angels, Heterodox Academy, Living Room Conversations, Listen First, Solutions Journalism Network, Common Ground Committee and many more. Media have also changed with the huge growth of podcasting, Substack, and new news sites such as The Free Press. We've enjoyed hearing from a remarkable range of guests. Among the most successful and persuasive experts are humble about their own opinions and accomplishments. They've been open-minded and curious about the views of those who sharply, and sometimes dismissively, disagreed with them. Standout examples include scientist Alina Chan, journalist and author Jonathan Rausch, writer and podcast host Yascha Mounk, and Moni Guzman of Braver Angels. In this episode Richard and Jim get personal and a bit emotional about where they've changed their minds and personally learned from each other. Please listen!Follow How Do We Fix It? on Facebook and Twitter X. Jim is a senior fellow at The Manhattan Institute. Follow him here on Twitter. He writes for City Journal and Commentary. Richard co-hosts "Let's Find Common Ground" podcast with Ashley Milne-Tyte. He's on Facebook and his Twitter handle is daviesnow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soon after Joe Biden became president he said in his inaugural address that wanted to bring Americans together, to forge unity. But maybe unity isn't what we should aim for. Our guest this week says instead of focusing on that elusive goal, Americans need to concentrate on what's damaging all of us: toxic polarization. In this episode we look at what toxic polarization is, how it got worse in recent decades, and how to end it, person-by-person. We learn about the role played by Common Ground Committee and other groups— local and national— in the bridging community. Peter Coleman has advised the Biden administration on how to detoxify America. He is a well-known mediator and psychologist who specializes in conflict resolution. A professor of psychology and education at Columbia University, he is the author of the book, The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.

Recently, during a public event at Utah's State Capitol, Governor Spencer Cox issued a stark warning: "Either we, the people, collectively decide we're going to stop hating our fellow Americans, or we'll start shooting each other."   In our podcast, we hear why Governor Cox passionately believes that the country is heading in a dangerous direction with hyperpartisanship and political dysfunction and what he's doing about it with his Disagree Better Initiative. Spencer Cox, a Republican, is the 2023 Chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association. He selected "Disagree Better" to be the Association's current campaign. Through public debates, service projects, meetings, and public service announcements, Disagree Better brings together red and blue governors, looking at the problems of polarization and how to elevate solutions that Common Ground Committee and other groups in the bridging community are implementing. 

This is a special presentation of Let's Find Common Ground from our friends at Common Ground Committee. CGC's mission is to bring healing to the national challenges of polarization and incivility, inspiring and motivating the public to find common ground. They do this by demonstrating how influential people of opposing views can find agreement without compromising core values. Here are the show notes from this episode of Let's Find Common Ground:   "Moderate Republican Will Hurd insists that across the country 'there is more that unites us than divides us.' The former GOP Congressman threw his hat into the ring in June with a video announcement that he's running for President of the United States. Our latest episode of 'Let's Find Common Ground' re-visits our interview with Will Hurd, recorded one year ago.   "Hurd stresses the need for both pragmatism and nuance when tackling guns, immigration, and other hot-button issues. But don't call him a squishy moderate. 'In the media in Washington DC…moderate means middle of the road,' he says. 'But in reality, moderates are the ones that do the hard work and get things done because they're the ones that are having to take a philosophy to people that may not identify with it.'   "Will Hurd served as a CIA agent overseas and conducted briefings for members of Congress. This experience inspired him to run for Texas 23rd Congressional district, which he won in 2014. Congress. He was elected three times in a swing district where Democrats often win. Hurd says in our podcast interview that he succeeded by engaging with voters from both sides, not just voters who shared all his beliefs."   Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.   www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion   www.threads.net/@coreysnathan   commongroundcommittee.org/podcasts/   commongroundcommittee.org/

This is a special presentation of Let's Find Common Ground from our friends at Common Ground Committee. CGC's mission is to bring healing to the national challenges of polarization and incivility, inspiring and motivating the public to find common ground. They do this by demonstrating how influential people of opposing views can find agreement without compromising core values. Here are the show notes from this episode of Let's Find Common Ground:   "Moderate Republican Will Hurd insists that across the country 'there is more that unites us than divides us.' The former GOP Congressman threw his hat into the ring in June with a video announcement that he's running for President of the United States. Our latest episode of 'Let's Find Common Ground' re-visits our interview with Will Hurd, recorded one year ago.   "Hurd stresses the need for both pragmatism and nuance when tackling guns, immigration, and other hot-button issues. But don't call him a squishy moderate. 'In the media in Washington DC…moderate means middle of the road,' he says. 'But in reality, moderates are the ones that do the hard work and get things done because they're the ones that are having to take a philosophy to people that may not identify with it.'   "Will Hurd served as a CIA agent overseas and conducted briefings for members of Congress. This experience inspired him to run for Texas 23rd Congressional district, which he won in 2014. Congress. He was elected three times in a swing district where Democrats often win. Hurd says in our podcast interview that he succeeded by engaging with voters from both sides, not just voters who shared all his beliefs."   Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.   www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion   www.threads.net/@coreysnathan   commongroundcommittee.org/podcasts/   commongroundcommittee.org/

The Village Square is truly delighted to offer you a feed drop episode of the "Let's Find Common Ground" podcast, from the extraordinary national leader in bridging divides Common Ground Committee.  (Shout out to the co-founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen. We're groupie fans.) Meet them: With polarization dominating public discourse, can we find a path back to the common good? Tune in as journalists Richard Davies and Ashley Milne-Tyte explore diverse solutions to today's most urgent issues with top thought leaders, journalists and others committed to bipartisan action. Tell us what you think! Rank recent episodes and issues that matter to you, and leave us a note or voice message. This episode of Let's Find Common Ground features the scholar Dr. Theodore Johnson, someone who has also been a guest on SquareCast. Dr. Johnson wrote the book "When the Stars Begin to Fall" about his unique journey to love of country—and the imperative that we seek racial healing together. We hope you'll take a moment to jump over to Let's Find Common Ground to listen to more great content (and subscribe). Village SquareCast and Let's Find Common Ground are both proud members of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Village SquareCast will be back with brand new episodes of Village SquareCast this fall.

The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. —Abraham Lincoln. This episodes tells the story of one group of people who have risen. Built by patriotic volunteers, Braver Angels is a national movement to bridge the partisan divide, equally balanced between conservatives and progressives at every level of leadership. They work in communities, on college campuses, in the media, and in the halls of political power. We'll offer up a behind the scenes view of this extraordinary group of Americans—how they formed, what they've learned and what's next. Find bios for our participants and a full program description online here. We hope you'll join us as we explore what happens when people of goodwill who might not agree cross each others' thresholds and break a little bread together. Whoever you are, whatever your beliefs, bring an open mind, an open heart (and an empty stomach) for a continuing conversation on the two topics your mother taught you to never broach in polite company: politics and religion. We can't wait. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Village Square is a proud member of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.  

We speak with two women from opposing sides of the bitter and often toxic debate over abortion. Frances Hogan and The Rev. Anne Fowler were involved in a series of years-long intensive, secret talks. Their candid conversations began after a gunman opened fire at two Massachusetts abortion clinics nearly thirty years ago. The attack left two women dead and five people injured.   In this episode, we learn the extraordinary story of how Anne and Frances gained a much deeper understanding and respect for one another. They didn't change their views about the abortion issue, but they did become friends.  We share moments of compassion, kindness, and humor. Both Frances and Anne were among those profiled in the new documentary, "Abortion Talks", about what happened after the deadly attacks. On "Let's Find Common Ground", both of them explain how incredibly difficult it was to be part of many hours of exhausting conversations. We hear how they learned to overcome fear, stereotyping, misunderstandings, and anger.  Please take our survey so we can find out what you think of the show. You'll find it on our podcast page. As an incentive, Common Ground Committee has partnered with Ecologi to increase biodiversity. Ecologi will plant five trees for every survey taken. Thank you!

USC Wrigley Director Joe Árvai joins former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and New York Times Opinion Columnist Bret Stephens for a conversation on finding common ground in climate conversations. They discuss how climate science leads to action, COVID-19's impact on climate change, the economic impact on climate action, and messaging around climate change. Featuring: Gina McCarthy: First Ever White House Climate Advisor; Former EPA Administrator Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir Joe Árvai: Director, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

USC Wrigley Director Joe Árvai joins former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and New York Times Opinion Columnist Bret Stephens for a conversation on finding common ground in climate conversations. They discuss how climate science leads to action, COVID-19's impact on climate change, the economic impact on climate action, and messaging around climate change. Featuring: Gina McCarthy: First Ever White House Climate Advisor; Former EPA Administrator Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir Joe Árvai: Director, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Representatives Val Demings and Adam Kinzinger for a conversation on the politics of climate with the goal of finding common ground. They discuss political barriers to enacting climate action, climate legislation passed by Congress, and how environmental legislation can help achieve climate justice.   Featuring: Val Demings: Former U.S. Representative (D-FL) Adam Kinzinger: Former U.S. Representative (R-IL) Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Representatives Val Demings and Adam Kinzinger for a conversation on the politics of climate with the goal of finding common ground. They discuss political barriers to enacting climate action, climate legislation passed by Congress, and how environmental legislation can help achieve climate justice.   Featuring: Val Demings: Former U.S. Representative (D-FL) Adam Kinzinger: Former U.S. Representative (R-IL) Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Democratic political icon James Carville and former White House Chief of Staff and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for a Common Ground Committee discussion on the 2022 midterm election results and the state of our democracy. They discuss the biggest takeaways from the midterm election, Carville's take on a Biden second run, and Priebus' experiences in the Oval Office. Featuring: James Carville: Political Icon Reince Priebus: White House Chief of Staff (2017), Chairman of the RNC (2011-2017) Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Democratic political icon James Carville and former White House Chief of Staff and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for a Common Ground Committee discussion on the 2022 midterm election results and the state of our democracy. They discuss the biggest takeaways from the midterm election, Carville's take on a Biden second run, and Priebus' experiences in the Oval Office. Featuring: James Carville: Political Icon Reince Priebus: White House Chief of Staff (2017), Chairman of the RNC (2011-2017) Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

This series from The Democracy Group podcast network will explore how the 2022 midterms could impact the health and stability of American democracy. We'll go beyond horse race politics to look at bigger trends in election administration, media, voting rights, and more. Each episode will come from one of The Democracy Group's podcasts that focus on democracy, civic engagement, and civil discourse. Our network includes shows from Penn State, the University of Virginia, the Campaign Legal Center, and the Common Ground Committee.Additional InformationMore Episodes from the PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

UnityNow's Toby Davis sits down with Bruce Bond, CEO and Co-founder of Common Ground Committee, a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization. Throughout their conversation, the two explore the founding and mission of the Committee. Bruce and his Team began hosting events that bring individuals from different ends of an issue. The two discuss the issue in an attempt to find Common Ground in a civilized public discussion. Toby asks Bruce how often the events have failed to find common ground. You might be surprised at the answer. Finally, Bond shares the new Common Ground Scorecard which assigns politicians a score based on their efforts to find common ground across the aisle. Follow the CGC:Twitter: https://twitter.com/commongroundcomWeb: https://commongroundcommittee.org/Use the Common Ground Scorecard: https://commongroundscorecard.org/start-hereFollow UnityNow!https://twitter.com/UnityNowPodcasthttps://www.unitynowpodcast.comBecome a Member:Get full access: https://www.patreon.com/unitynowGet UnityNow! Gear: https://shop.unitynowpodcast.com#UnityNow #CommonGroundCommittee #BruceBond

In this episode of 92NY Talks, join former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele as they explore ways to find common ground on election reform with former CBS News Correspondent and author, Jacqueline Adams. This program is co-presented by 92NY's Newmark Civic Life Series of pro-democracy talks and lectures, and Common Ground Committee, whose mission it is to bring healing to the challenges of incivility and polarization in American politics. The conversation was streamed live as part of the The 92nd Street Y, New York online talks series on June 7, 2022.

The public's trust in government is near an all-time low. Now some politicians are recognizing that polarization and division in the United States is a threat to how our democracy functions. In this episode, we hear from two members of Congress: One Republican, one Democrat. Representatives Derek Kilmer and William Timmons both work together on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and are leading supporters of the Building Civic Bridges Act — a proposal that would fund federal and local efforts to reduce polarization.  We also discuss how bipartisan support for robust measures in response to the invasion of Ukraine may strengthen efforts to improve ties between Members of Congress of both parties.  This effort comes at a critical time. Recent polling has found that about four-out-of-five Americans are very or extremely concerned about America's political divisions. "Let's Find Common Ground", produced for Common Ground Committee, is co-hosted by Richard Davies and Ashley Milne-Tyte.

Black History Month is a celebration of the remarkable contributions of black Americans to our nation. Some of our guests share their personal thoughts and stories about the lessons of history. We learn about the legacy of the civil rights movement, and recent calls for social change, justice, reform, and respect. This episode includes extracts from past podcasts and a Common Ground Committee public event.  Podcast guests featured: Professor Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and the author of the memoir "Growing Up X", Dr. Brian Williams, Associate Professor of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Hawk Newsome, Cofounder, and Chair of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, Errol Toulon, Sheriff of Suffolk County New York, and Caroline Randall Williams, a poet, author, teacher and Writer-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. We also share moving extracts from a conversation between Donna Brazille and Michael Steele for a Common Ground Committee forum in 2018. As the first Black chairs of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, respectively, their views represented different perspectives. But in tackling essential questions of race and governance, they found many points of agreement.

Most of us can agree that finding common ground is a good thing, but we desperately struggle to put it into action.   My guest this week is Bruce Bond, the CEO and Co-Founder of the Common Ground Committee, one of many organizations working to provide the "spark of inspiration" needed to help us come together in more meaningful ways.   Bruce says that without an outside common enemy, we often turn on ourselves and polarize, and this is why its so important for the so-called "exhausted majority" to find its voice.   Check out the Common Ground Committee at https://commongroundcommittee.org.   Other resources mentioned: Bridge Alliance - https://www.bridgealliance.us Civic Genius - https://www.ourcivicgenius.org Living Room Conversations - https://livingroomconversations.org Braver Angels - https://braverangels.org

Common Ground Committee is part of a robust and growing national movement of bridge builders, who are working to reduce incivility and toxic polarization in America today. We look in-depth at this diverse, vital coalition.  Who's involved and how are they tackling racial, cultural, and political schisms that threaten American democracy? Our guest, Nathan Bomey, is a reporter for USA Today, and author of the new book, "Bridge Builders: Bringing People Together in a Polarized Age." In this interview, we hear stories about people from many walks of life who are building the structure of a new, more united America. "Despite its transformational qualities, bridge building often attracts considerable resistance," says Bomey. "In many cases, that's because bridges promise to disrupt the status quo for people who previously benefited from or preferred social isolation." This episode looks at a constructive way forward.

Everyone wants the best education for their children. But parents and teachers don't always agree on how to get there.In this episode, we hear from two education leaders whose views clashed when they first met. Gisele Huff is a philanthropist and longtime proponent of school choice, including charter schools. Becky Pringle spent her career in public education. A science teacher for three decades, she is now President of the National Education Association, the nation's largest labor union. After some deep initial skepticism, these women and other leaders came together and developed a transformational vision for US education. Along the way, they developed a deep respect for one another, and a friendship that has helped each of them through personal tragedies.This episode is co-produced in partnership with Convergence Center for Policy Resolution— one of a series of podcasts that Common Ground Committee and Convergence are producing together.Additional InformationLets Find Common Ground PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

Everyone wants the best education for their children. But parents and teachers don't always agree on how to get there. In this episode, we hear from two education leaders whose views clashed when they first met. Gisele Huff is a philanthropist and longtime proponent of school choice, including charter schools. Becky Pringle spent her career in public education. A science teacher for three decades, she is now President of the National Education Association, the nation's largest labor union.  After some deep initial skepticism, these women and other leaders came together and developed a transformational vision for US education. Along the way, they developed a deep respect for one another, and a friendship that has helped each of them through personal tragedies. This episode is co-produced in partnership with Convergence Center for Policy Resolution— one of a series of podcasts that Common Ground Committee and Convergence are producing together. 

Will Friedman is president of Public Agenda, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and public engagement organization that strives to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity for all Americans. One of the organization's major projects is the Hidden Common Ground Initiative, which challenges the increasingly dominant narrative of a hopelessly-divided America by identifying and elevating the areas and narratives where Americans agree on solutions to politically-polarized issues, and by fostering productive dialogue on those areas where we truly disagree.This work, along with the Hidden Tribes initiative, Common Ground Committee, and others begs the question — if this common ground is already prevalent in our society and our democracy, then why is it hidden? We explore that question in this episode and ask how to work toward common ground in a way that does not simply maintain the status quo.Additional InformationHidden Common Ground InitiativeRelated EpisodesTrust, facts, and democracy in a polarized worldDoes Congress promote partisan gridlock?

With only weeks to go before the 2020 election, many challenges remain to holding a free and fair vote in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  From likely surge in mail-in ballots, to changes in polling places for millions of voters and the urgent need for accuracy, we discuss whether the election will be a smooth exercise of democracy or result in a constitutional crisis.  David Hawkings, Editor-in-Chief and Tristiana Hinton, Audience Development Editor, of The Fulcrum explain America's many different statewide systems of voting, and why it could take days or weeks for winners to be declared. We look at the disputes between Republicans and Democrats, including the possibility of a disputed result, and explore why many local election officials from both parties share common ground on the need for fair and accurate results.    The Fulcrum is a non-profit, non-partisan digital news organization focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American democracy. The Fulcrum and Common Ground Committee are members of Bridge Alliance, which acts as a connectivity hub for over 90 civic action organizations.

As the tone of public discourse becomes increasingly angry and divisive, Common Ground Committee offers a healing path to reaching agreement and moving forward. We talk with top leaders in public policy, finance, academe and more to encourage the seeking and finding of points of agreement, and to demonstrate how combating incivility can lead us forward.