Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez talk about growing up in suburban Southern California and what it taught them about social networks, and what it means to belong (or not).

http://www.americanata.org/

Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez explore the advantages and disadvantages of the proverbial American way, the downside of the pursuit of happiness, and the tension between nationalism and localism.

http://www.americanata.org/

Is America a Needy Nation? How much politics is too much for people? Do we need to disconnect for a while to find some joy? Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez explore whether American culture can rebound from this historic low point.

http://www.americanata.org/

What did we learn about ourselves during the Trump era? Is the era of outrage going to last forever or will someone stand up and say enough? Could it be that Americans are just an unhappy people? Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez discuss.

http://www.americanata.org/

The perception that the end of the pandemic may be near is allowing us to consider what comes next in our lives. Gregory suggests we're on the verge of a new era of license, creativity and...fun. Are we on the cusp of acknowledging our national trauma, reckoning the state of our depression or preparing for a decade of speakeasies and flappers in the post Covid era? Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez discuss.

http://www.americanata.org/

Why are Americans so consumed with ignoring what's wrong with us? Mike visits the idea that one of the problems with Lincoln was an overemphasis on union - unity at all costs. Gregory suggests it may be 'The problem of pluralism' and America's bad habit of finding unity only when there's a common threat. Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez discuss.

http://www.americanata.org/

Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez discuss what political parties are for, what a conservative party should stand for, and what happens when elites disengage from politics.

Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez ask whether this horrible pandemic can somehow restore America. What will the isolation do to us? Will it further weaken communities or ultimately bring us more together?

http://www.americanata.org/

Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez discuss Trump’s Mount Rushmore extravaganza, why America isn’t mourning the 130,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, and whether or not America needs to atone for its past.

http://www.americanata.org/

Mike Madrid and Gregory Rodriguez explore Trump’s racial rhetoric, the meaning of whiteness, and what the George Floyd protests might mean for America.

http://www.americanata.org/