107 episodes

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.

Let's Find Common Ground Common Ground Committee

    • News
    • 5.0 • 514 Ratings

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.

    Depolarizing America: Ending Toxic Polarization. Peter Coleman

    Depolarizing America: Ending Toxic Polarization. Peter Coleman

    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.

    • 23 min
    Racism Renounced: A Black Man Talks With White Supremacists. Daryl Davis

    Racism Renounced: A Black Man Talks With White Supremacists. Daryl Davis

    Acclaimed musician and recording artist Daryl Davis has interviewed hundreds of KKK members and other White supremacists and influenced many of them to renounce their racist ideology.
    We hear his brave and remarkable story. Daryl's personal quest began many years ago, after a concert when he was in a country music band. A card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan praised his piano playing. Daryl recognized that he had an opportunity to ask an important question about racism: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” 
    Daryl Davis is the author of "Klan-Destine Relationships"— the first book written about the Ku Klux Klan by a Black writer. His work in race relations has been highlighted in speaker series across the country. His documentary film, "Accidental Courtesy", features his process of conversation and understanding to bridge differences and promote racial reconciliation.

    • 28 min
    Is Everything We're Told About Independent Voters Wrong? Jackie Salit and John Opdycke

    Is Everything We're Told About Independent Voters Wrong? Jackie Salit and John Opdycke

    Independent voters make up well over 40 percent of the voting public. But you wouldn’t know that from media coverage, which focuses almost exclusively on red versus blue. Independents are often overlooked or seen as wishy-washy, bending in the wind. Our guests on this episode say that’s a big misconception.
     In this show, we look at a huge group of voters, including many young people, who make up a growing slice of the US population. Significantly, the number of American voters identifying as independent is at a record high.
    Our guests are both political experts. Jackie Salit is the author of Independents Rising and president of Independent Voting, an organization dedicated to bringing respect, recognition, and reform to independent voters. John Opdycke is president of Open Primaries, which campaigns for primary elections in which every American can participate, not just registered Republicans or Democrats.

    • 29 min
    How Curiosity Can Bridge Dangerous Divides: Mónica Guzmán

    How Curiosity Can Bridge Dangerous Divides: Mónica Guzmán

    In this presidential election year, partisan divides cause political gridlock and distrust. We're encouraged to believe that we're right and those on the other side are ignorant, stupid, or evil. But avoiding awkward conversations with those we disagree with is a big reason why America is so bitterly divided.  
    Journalist, bridge builder, and author Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of conservative Mexican immigrant parents. We hear the personal story told with humor and passion of how Mónica set out to understand what divides America. In this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", we discuss practical ways to use our own sense of curiosity to have cross-partisan conversations with colleagues, friends, and family. 
    Mónica is the author of the book "I Never Thought Of It That Way". She serves as Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, and hosts the podcast series, "A Braver Way".

    • 27 min
    What Americans Want from Politicians— And What They're Not Getting: Sean Westwood

    What Americans Want from Politicians— And What They're Not Getting: Sean Westwood

    American politics are often dominated by the loudest voices on the left and right. In this episode, we learn the crucial difference between what Americans get from their elected representatives and what they really want to hear.
    Professor Sean Westwood of Dartmouth College is our guest. As Director of The Polarization Research Lab, he studies American political behavior and public opinion, examining how partisanship and information from political elites affect the behavior of citizens. 
     "There is an absolute need for common ground," Sean Westwood tells us. The research shows that most Democrats and Republicans "know very little about the other side and have significant misperceptions."
     We learn why elites, including political leaders and celebrities, have a powerful impact on public behavior. "When we humanize the opposition and bring politicians together and demonstrate how they can have civil disagreement, you set norms that the public will follow," he says. 

    • 32 min
    The Third Founding

    The Third Founding

    With our political system mired in problems, there’s plenty of talk about ‘fixing politics.’ But our guest Mark Sappenfield, Editor of the Christian Science Monitor, says that idea is too simplistic. What needs to change, he says “is upstream from politics. It’s how we relate to each other as human beings in our society. And until that changes, politics isn’t going to change.”
    In a deeply thoughtful conversation, Mark shares his personal take on where the U.S. is and where it needs to go. Americans’ expectations have changed a lot in recent years with mass internet access and the instant gratification brought about by digital life. We want something? We expect to get it within hours. But Mark argues this culture of convenience and focus on the self has seeped into the rest of our lives, altering our expectations for what politicians can do for us and absolving us of personal responsibility. 
    From his current home in Germany Mark discusses the upside of a less convenient daily life, the difference between compromise and curiosity, and how a societal re-set he calls 'a third founding’ may be needed to get America back on track.

    • 35 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
514 Ratings

514 Ratings

laurieinsm ,

Enlightening and uplifting

In an age where are country is so divided on many topics, I find "Let's Find Common Ground" enlightening and uplifting. It underscores how, despite our differences, we can learn from inspiring guests how to find commonality with others.

YodaOfCanton ,

Informative and anti inflammatory

I’ve listen to several episodes. I fell I learn about various points of view and why people come to their viewpoints.

IvyVirginia ,

Captivating perspectives

A very entertaining 30 minute look at topics that make you consider how to better understand an alternate perspective

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