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America's Why Project
America's Why Project episodes
- Episode 20: Rediscovering Common Ground – How Congress Can Work Better
In the second episode of this two-part series, Casey Burgat, Director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University, explores what could help Congress work better and rebuild incentives for cooperation. He discusses the bipartisan work that often happens outside the spotlight, the role voters play in rewarding political behavior, and structural reforms that could create more competitive elections. Burgat also reflects on what effective legislators do differently and why he sees younger generations as a source of hope for American democracy. According to Burgat, the legislators who make a mark on history are those who are “willing to lose” by standing up for their convictions.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Dr. Casey Burgat – Director of the Legislative Affairs Program at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
Explore more of Dr. Casey Burgat’s work:
Casey Burgat – Official Website
George Washington UniversityLearn more about We Hold These Truths:
Simon & Schuster — We Hold These TruthsVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
26 min - Episode 19: Insecure Majorities: Why Congress Doesn’t Work
In the first of two episodes diagnosing the ailments of the United States Congress, political analyst Casey Burgat explains how the politics of the perpetual campaign have undermined democratic governance in America.
Burgat, who directs the Legislative Affairs program at the George Washington University, examines how intensifying competition between majority and minority parties in Congress incentivizes obstruction, how social media rewards performative politics instead of problem solving, and how party identity has become increasingly tied to nearly every issue. Burgat also discusses the growing danger of dehumanization of adversaries – and what happens when Americans begin to see those on the other side as an existential threat rather than as legitimate partners in a democratic society.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Dr. Casey Burgat – Director of the Legislative Affairs Program at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
Explore more of Dr. Casey Burgat’s work:
Casey Burgat – Official Website
George Washington UniversityLearn more about We Hold These Truths:
Simon & Schuster — We Hold These TruthsVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
29 min - Episode 18: Democracy on the Brink: America in the Age of Violent Populism
In this special episode, Prof. Robert Pape of the University of Chicago reveals
the findings of this year’s most important book on the future of American
democracy – Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism.“What is happening in America,” warns Pape, “is not primarily a story of
extremists seizing control; it is a story of the normalization of violence in the
mainstream.” At this critical historical moment, democratic resilience “depends on
citizens and leaders who maintain a shared refusal to treat violence as a normal
instrument of political conflict.” Pape offers a sobering yet hopeful analysis of
what it will take for Americans to preserve freedom and democracy in the 21 st
century.Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Prof. Robert A. Pape – Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, Director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST), and author of Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism.
Explore more of Prof. Robert Pape’s work:
University of Chicago
Prof. Robert Pape on SubstackLearn more about the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST):
CPOSTLearn more about Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism:
The New Press — Our Own Worst EnemiesVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
32 min - Episode 17: Hard Jobs – Generation Z and Preparing for What’s Next
This episode will change the way you think about Generation Z.
In Part 2 of our Hard Jobs series, AWP Digital Media Manager Lakshmi Dev speaks with three students at different stages of the journey from high school to the workforce about the growing pressure to do it all: keep up with classes, earn money, build experience, pursue extracurriculars, and stay ahead. Their stories reveal how the student experience is changing as young people navigate rising costs, a competitive job market, and the expectation to constantly prepare for what comes next. They also raise a deeper question about what gets lost when students feel like they always have to be doing more.
What happens when simply being a student no longer feels like enough? Tune in today to hear students describe their experience.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast
Host 2: Lakshmi Dev, Digital Media Manager of the America’s Why Project
Guests: Amelia Bandy, Satya Van Gur, and Meeda Murikurti
Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.
24 min - Episode 16: Part 2 — Cultivating Strategic Imagination
What does it take to move from wishing for change to actually creating it?
In Part 2 of this conversation with Hahrie Han, Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, MacArthur Fellow and author of Undivided, host Matt Levinger explores what it takes to turn shared values into lasting change. Building on the story of the Undivided initiative at Cincinnati’s Crossroads Church, Han explains the difference between “performative” action that simply expresses our beliefs and “strategic” action that builds the capacity and commitment “to do what needs to be done.” She discusses the importance of strategic imagination, the essential role of “communities of belonging” in turning stories into action, and why meaningful social change requires more than a single moment of engagement. As Undivided continues to navigate the challenges of race, justice, and political division, Han reflects on a central question: How can we create spaces where people not only imagine a different future, but see themselves as capable of helping build it?
Dr. Hahrie Han is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. She served from 2019 to 2026 as the inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, where she directs the P3 Lab. She is also a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Prof. Hahrie Han – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, former inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, and a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.
Explore more of Prof. Hahrie Han’s work:
https://politicalscience.jhu.edu/directory/hahrie-han/
https://www.hahriehan.comLearn more about the SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab:
https://snfagora.jhu.edu/
https://snfagora.jhu.edu/our-work/labs/p3-lab/Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
23 min - Episode 15: Part 1 — Race, Class, and Religion in America: Spanning the Divides
In this episode, we continue our discussion of the powerful role that religious faith can play in healing cultural and political divisions. Host Matt Levinger speaks with Professor Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University about her book Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church. Drawing on her research into a racial justice initiative at Cincinnati’s Crossroads Church, Han explores how people can build relationships across racial and political differences and develop the trust needed for difficult conversations. The leaders of Crossroads, the third largest Evangelical megachurch in the United States, start from the principle that “belonging comes before belief.” The episode examines how empathetic listening in small-group settings can help cultivate lasting friendships that enable people to take risks, work through disagreement, and stay engaged in the difficult work of creating change. But bringing people together does not mean avoiding conflict. In our next episode, Han explores what happens when that work meets resistance and backlash.
Dr. Hahrie Han is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. She served from 2019 to 2026 as the inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, where she directs the P3 Lab. She is also a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Prof. Hahrie Han – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, former inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, and a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.
Explore more of Prof. Hahrie Han’s work:
https://politicalscience.jhu.edu/directory/hahrie-han/
https://www.hahriehan.comLearn more about the SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab:
https://snfagora.jhu.edu/
https://snfagora.jhu.edu/our-work/labs/p3-lab/Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
27 min - Episode 14: How Religion Shapes the Way Americans Listen - Listening Across Religious Divides
Religious faith is a uniquely powerful force for building community and forging human connections; yet conflicts over religion have ignited some of the most savage wars in human history. In this episode, host Matt Levinger speaks with Dr. Rollie Lal, a professor at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and the founder of the Global Affairs and Religion Network (GARNET), about what happens when we listen across the boundaries of religion, security, and identity. Drawing on her work on extremism, terrorism, and transnational security, Dr. Lal explains how conversations with religious scholars have challenged assumptions within the security field and opened new ways of understanding the relationship between religion and conflict. The discussion explores why listening to religious communities matters when addressing extremism—and how making space for other perspectives can “create powerful possibilities for building a more peaceful world.”
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.
Guest: Prof. Rollie Lal – Professor of International Affairs at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and Co-chair of the Global Affairs and Religion Network (GARNET).
Explore more of Prof. Rollie Lal’s work:
https://elliott.gwu.edu/rollie-lalLearn more about the Global Affairs and Religion Network (GARNET):
https://garnet.elliott.gwu.eduVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:
americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.
34 min - Episode 13: Hard Jobs – Listening on the Front Lines of Healthcare
Some of the most important listening happens in the most emotionally demanding spaces. This episode launches a new subseries within our “How to Listen” chapter: Hard Jobs, conversations with people working in some of society’s most demanding roles. In this episode, AWP Creative Director Amy McCampbell sits down with Anthony, a healthcare complaints specialist responsible for handling hundreds of patient concerns across a large hospital network, to explore what it means to listen when emotions are high and solutions are not always possible. Through stories from the front lines of healthcare, Anthony shares how empathy, honesty, and emotional discipline can transform even the most difficult conversations. His reflections reveal why people often need to feel heard before they can move forward. More than a discussion about customer service, this episode examines listening as an act of compassion and asks what changes when we treat every request for help as a sign of trust.
Host : Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.
Host 2: Amy McCampbell, Creative Director of the America’s Why Project
Guest: Anthony, healthcare complaints specialist
Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.
23 min - Episode 12: Part 2 — How Deep Listening Builds Trust
What actually changes when people stop talking at each other and start truly listening? In Part 2 of this two-part series, host Matt Levinger continues his conversation with Merissa Khurma, Founder and President of the AMENA Foundation and a strategic communications expert, to move from breaking down the idea of listening to understanding what makes it effective in practice. Through real-world examples—from a funding negotiation to a FIFA policy debate—Khurma shows how listening shifts conversations from assumptions to trust, and from conflict to problem-solving. The discussion highlights how reframing, cultural context, and attention to personal narratives can turn stalled or polarized interactions into meaningful progress. This episode closes the series by showing how listening, when practiced intentionally, becomes a tool for building outcomes that last.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.
Guest: Merissa Khurma – Founder and President of AMENA Foundation.
Explore more of Merissa Khurma’s work at AMENA Strategies:
https://www.amenastrategies.com/Follow AMENA Foundation and AMENA Strategies for more insights and updates:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-foundation-inc/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-strategies/posts/?feedView=allVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.
24 min - Episode 11: Part 1 — The Power of Listening in Divided Worlds: Narrative, Trust, and Conflict
In a world where everyone is talking, why does it feel like no one is truly being heard? In Part 1 of this two-part series, host Matt Levinger sits down with Merissa Khurma, Founder and President of the AMENA Foundation and a strategic communications expert, to explore a critical question: why do people stop listening in the first place? Drawing on experiences from global diplomacy to deeply personal moments, Khurma unpacks how emotion, identity, and narrative can distort understanding, fuel division, and even dehumanize those on the other side. From high-stakes geopolitical conflicts to everyday conversations, this episode reveals the hidden barriers that prevent us from truly hearing one another, and sets the stage for what it might take to overcome them.
Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.
Guest: Merissa Khurma – Founder and President of AMENA Foundation.
Explore more of Merissa Khurma’s work at AMENA Strategies:
https://www.amenastrategies.com/Follow AMENA Foundation and AMENA Strategies for more insights and updates:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-foundation-inc/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-strategies/posts/?feedView=allVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.com
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.
25 min
About America's Why Project
From the publisher's feed
To solve America’s toughest challenges, we need to begin by listening to each other’s stories. The America’s Why Project (AWP) creates a space for conversations that invite Americans from all…
walks of life—and friends of America around the world—to explore their perspectives on America’s past, present, and future. By opening our ears and opening our hearts, we can start to rebuild mutual trust and rediscover our shared purpose. One story, one conversation, one open mic at a time.