More than any time in recent decades, American politics aredeeply divided. Compromise is a dirty word.

"The way that we're running the country is that we're notrunning the country," says our guest Mark Gerzon, author of the newbook, "TheReunited States of America."

As President of Mediators Foundation, the group he founded 25years ago, Mark has brought people together in conflict zonesaround the world Concerned about increasing polarization in theU.S., Mark is working on the ideological frontier between left andright.

"We can work together to solve the problems we all face in acountry we all love," Gerzon tells us on this episode of "How Do WeFix It?" But what we have now is a permanent campaign by bothparties. "And after election day they start the next campaign."

"We can't solve any of the problems we face if we're tearingeach other down the whole time."

Mark's fixes include urging individual citizens to engage indiscussions with people we don't agree with, asking questions aboutwhat they think, rather than stating fixed opinions.

"Do you want to get drunk on being right and enjoy that feelingof being with the people you agree with and bad mouth the peopleyou don't?," asks Mark.

News media coverage, he says, is biased in favor of controversy,contests and clashes.

"There's a whole America out there that's not getting any newscoverage. And that's the America where Americans work together."Resources for compromise and open-minded dialog include:

• livingroomconversations.org
• bridgealliance.us
• everyday-democracy.org
• democracyfund.org

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