Common Ground with Jane Whitney

The battle to sustain democracy, which many historians and pundits consider this century’s preeminent challenge, is the heart of the third show slated to air this season. Once considered democracy’s bedrock, a proud model for the world, the American experiment in the constitutional government is being battered as never before and, many analysts warn, now is crumbling. The show brings together a panel of renowned voices to discuss the escalating threats to voter protections and the rule of law as well as how the country can rebuild the guardrails of democracy.

Host Jane Whitney is joined by E.J. Dionne, Jr., author and columnist for the Washington Post; Heather Cox Richardson, author, historian, and professor of history at Boston College; Bret Stephens, New York Times columnist and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary; and Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO and President of Voto Latino.

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Common Ground’s second show of the season focuses on whether the widespread longing for compromise and civility is nothing more than the vestigial dreams of a bygone era – or if the country can recapture the unity of spirit and purpose that has written America’s history in overcoming previous crises.

The panelists, leading voices from across a broad swath of the political spectrum, will talk about the formidable forces empowering the fringes and why the majority of Americans are relegated to the political sidelines to bemoan their diminishing influence.

Panelists include:

• David Brooks, bestselling author and New York Times columnist
• Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University 
• Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover 
• Frank Luntz, pollster and political strategist

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The opening show in Common Ground’s season, “Life Beyond the Pandemic,” explores what we’ve learned about the pandemic and its profound impact of how we live, think and play. The expert panel, lead by Dr. Anthony Fauci, discuss how the ongoing crisis is shifting the ground beneath our feet and inevitably lead to permanent changes in political and economic power. But since every calamity also is an opportunity, there is a focus on how the country can rebuild to resolve some of its most intractable and longstanding problems.

Common Ground with Jane Whitney is a new series that features deep-dive conversations with the nation’s leading thinkers, leaders and experts around the nation’s most important issues. The 12-episode series explores national public affairs issues from government and politics to the environment and global affairs -- with a mission to inform and inspire communities through shared dialogue and providing thought-provoking suggestions and solutions that capture Americans’ attention. The shows are interactive, designed to allow the expert panelists and the audience to share experiences, perspectives and insights in an effort to build an ongoing conversation that bonds the people together.

Common Ground with Jane Whitney is produced by Conversations On the Green (COG), a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization. Lindsey Gruson serves as the executive producer of the series.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common Ground with Jane Whitney is a new series that features deep-dive conversations with the nation’s leading thinkers, leaders and experts around the nation’s most important issues. The 12-episode series explores national public affairs issues from government and politics to the environment and global affairs -- with a mission to inform and inspire communities through shared dialogue and providing thought-provoking suggestions and solutions that capture Americans’ attention. The shows are interactive, designed to allow the expert panelists and the audience to share experiences, perspectives and insights in an effort to build an ongoing conversation that bonds the people together.

Common Ground with Jane Whitney is produced by Conversations On the Green (COG), a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization. Lindsey Gruson serves as the executive producer of the series.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.