For most of my life, the word “community” evoked images of boring town hall meetings and community centers with faded carpets and janky foosball tables. In the last few years, however, as I dug deeper into ideas for how to escape our current political mess, that changed.

I started by reading the work of Robert Putnam, the influential sociologist who documented the crucial role of community associations—from unions to bowling leagues—in American life. I began appreciating the writing to the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville, who in the 1830s described the central role of community in the American creative spirit. And I encountered a whole range of other thinkers in a philosophical tradition known as “communitarianism” who see our identity as humans and citizens as inextricably tied to our roles in community.

That’s why I was so excited to speak to Pete Davis, a brilliant thinker, social entrepreneur, leader, and advocate, who’s work centers on exactly this insight. Pete is the co-director & producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Join or Die, a film about community in America, author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, and director of the Democracy Policy Network.

In our conversation, Pete reflects on democracy and solidarity, and shares imaginative ideas for revitalizing civic life and fostering a deeper sense of community.

Our conversation covers topics including:

* What democracy really means and the idea of “co-creating our shared world” is at its heart

* What solidarity actually means, and how Americans can do a better job connected to one another

* Concrete initiatives from the Democracy Policy Network, including democracy vouchers, library lawyers, and social cooperatives for care

* Existing cultural institutions like public high schools, employee stock ownership plans, and Alcoholics Anonymous, that are already quietly democratizing society and building community

* How crazy ideas for changing our society might not be so crazy after all

* How to get started in rejuvenating civic life in America

Links

* Join or Die - Emmy-nominated documentary about community in America, Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” research, and why you should join a club. Now streaming on Netflix.

* Join 101 Substack & Podcast - From the team behind the documentary Join or Die, JOIN 101 shares tools for the next American joining revolution.

Don’t miss the “What are you doing alone that you could be doing together?” series

* Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing - Pete’s book where he advocates for commitment as a radical, countercultural act to find purpose through dedication to people, places, and causes

* Democracy Policy Network

* The Lost Prophets Podcast with Pete Davis and Elias Crim

* How to Get Away: Finding Balance in Our Overworked, Overcrowded, Always-On World by Jon Staff & Pete Davis

* A New American Awakening: How the chaos of the phone-based life is giving rise to a quiet revolution in civic life—and what it will take to make it last. published in After Babel

Was America always this polarized? How did we get here? And what can we do to foster better communication across lines of difference among the next generation?

I explore these questions in my conversation with Caroline Mehl, the Co-Founder and Executive Director at the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI).

For the past decade, Caroline has been at the forefront of helping young people on college campuses have conversations across lines of difference. Caroline and I discuss the desperate need to grapple with polarization and political disagreement, especially among the next generation, and examine how polarization has changed since 2017.

In this conversation with Caroline, we cover many topics, including:

* The history of the Constructive Dialogue Institute: How the 2016 election sounded alarm bells around our inability to engage in discussions across political divides.

* Understanding polarization and its impact on democracy: Were we always this polarized? The role social media played in hastening our polarization.

* Moral foundations & the illusion of explanatory depth: How understanding our own moral values and knowledge of complex issues can build intellectual humility.

* Shifts in young people’s perspectives: The shifting psychological state of young people and how COVID-19 led to increased social anxiety and depression.

* The role of educational institutions in combatting polarization: How CDI’s work on college campuses starts in the classroom.

* The future of dialogue and AI integration: How CDI is using AI to enhance dialogue skills.

Links

* Webinar: A New Roadmap for Campus Dialogue: The Five Pillars Framework

* Resources from the Constructive Dialogue Institute:

* Engaging Students Across Difference: A Practical Guide to Designing Dialogues

* Colleges and Universities as Public Forums: A Playbook for Designing Impactful Campus Speaker Events

* Caroline & the Constructive Dialogue Institute in the news:

* In Time of Campus Turmoil, More Colleges Try Teaching Civil Discourse | EdSurge

* Caroline on Inside Higher Ed’s podcast: Campus Talks: The Role of Universities as Bastions of Free Speech and Open Debate in Polarized Times

* ‘We’re in the danger zone’: A conversation with Caroline Mehl | The Fulcrum

* The Path Forward After Political Murder | Caroline Mehl and Jonathan Haidt in The Chronicle of Higher Education

* A Blueprint for Improving Campus Dialogue and Belonging | Inside Higher Ed

What does moral patriotism require of us in moments when institutions fall short? How should we navigate polarization without giving up on civility? What does everyday civic bravery look like in ordinary American life?

These are the questions I tackled today with Ted Johnson, Senior Fellow at New America and columnist at The Washington Post.

Ted Johnson is a deep thinker with a wide range of personal and professional experiences that give him a unique perspective on the promises and paradoxes of the American experiment.

In this conversation, we explore a wide range of topics, including:

* Pragmatism in a Slow-Moving System: Why pragmatism still matters in a system designed to move slowly, and what we give up when we try to force fast change.

* The Case for Civility: What civility actually means in a polarized country, and whether it has any real use right now.

* Values Under Pressure: How to hold onto core democratic values during moments that feel urgent and destabilizing.

* Moral Patriotism: A definition of patriotism rooted in first principles, and why criticism can be a form of loyalty.

* Everyday Civic Bravery: What “being brave” looks like in ordinary civic life, including the risk of leaving our social and political bubbles.

* Identity Politics and Elections: How identity politics shapes elections, and why messaging and policy are not the same thing.

* America at 250: What the 250th anniversary of the Declaration might reveal about who we are as a country.

Links

* Ted Johnson’s recent book, If We Are Brave

* Some recent columns of Ted’s in The Washington Post:

* America’s mistrust is misplaced. Minneapolis shows why.

* Young Americans are asking old questions. It’s valid — and frustrating.

* Why the president has become unimpeachable

* What Renée Good’s killing says about U.S. citizenship

* America’s real source of patriotism has been clear for 250 years

I had a blast speaking with author and speaker Mónica Guzmán, founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity. Mónica is one of the most dynamic, engaging, and thoughtful speakers how there on how to navigate our thorniest political disagreements. Her solution: radical curiosity. Curiosity is the antidote to our fears, or misperceptions, our biases. It opens our minds and breaks down walls.

All of this is outlined in her wonderful book I Never Thought of it That Way, which describes Mónica’s journey in bridge-building as well as the relationship she has with her parents, who are Trump-supporting Mexican immigrants and break oh-so-many of the stereotypes people often hold about people with their backgrounds.

Among the questions we tackle in this conversation:

* Are we actually more divided than ever—or just more aware of our divisions?

* What are the limits of political empathy?

* Is it possible to stay politically committed without demonizing the other side?

* How do one-to-one conversations succeed where mass media and social platforms fail?

* What does it mean to “learn together” in a culture built around solo certainty?

* How can courage, rather than civility alone, reshape our political culture?

* Is curiosity really the best strategy?

Have questions? Let us know in the comments! And please share with anyone who you think might be interested in this conversation :)

Links

* Monica’s Newsletter

* I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times

* Braver Way Podcast

There are few people working in social psychology—or anywhere else, for that matter—who are as dynamic, creative, productive, or insightful as Jay Van Bavel.

I was lucky enough to have Jay as an advisor in grad school. My first memory of Jay is stepping into his office on a whim during my first week and noticing a chess board on his desk. I asked him if he wanted to play and he agreed. We spent the next 45 minutes playing and chatting—an eternity for a professor still trying to get tenure. But Jay acted like he had all the time in the world for me.

This spirit of generosity has carried through over the last fifteen years of our relationship. Jay always has time for you, and always goes to bat for his students.

That philosophy has served him well. Jay is now one one of the most highly cited researchers in the social sciences, and continues to produce some of the most impactful papers in the field year after year on a wide range of topics, from health and polarization to the future of technology.

In this conversation, we cover a range of topics, including:

* group identity

* political polarization

* social media

* artificial intelligence

Links:

* Jay’s fantastic book, The Power of Us

* Center for Conflict and Cooperation

* Paper on social media being a funhouse mirror

Note: Unfortunately, a technical issue with my microphone led me to sound like someone speaking over a shitty AM radio on this recording. Apologies!

I thoroughly enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation with Dan Cox, the Founder and Director of the Survey Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute.

Dan has done some of the most impressive work around on the issues affecting Americans in their everyday lives, studying topics like social connection, dating, gender, community, parenting, and generational changes. He’s also a delight to talk to, with a thoughtful perspective on many of life’s important questions.

Among the questions we tackle in this conversation:

* Why are close friendships getting harder to find in America?

* What changed in the institutions that used to bring people together?

* How is growing up online shaping Gen Z’s views on life and community?

* Why do we talk about marriage more as personal fulfillment than commitment now?

* How are online spaces and apps influencing the way we handle relationships?

* What would it take to rebuild a stronger culture of “togetherness”?

You can also find this episode on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Links Mentioned

* Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life

* SNL skit: Man Park

* American Storylines Newsletter

Today I’m speaking with Ben Klutsey, the Executive Director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. I first met Ben at a convening in Chicago a few years ago and was immediately impressed by his curiosity, thoughtful perspective, and optimistic worldview.

Ben comes from the “classical liberal” tradition—an intellectual viewpoint that prioritizes the value of markets to solve social problems. But he’s far from a knee-jerk ideologue and offers some really nuanced perspectives about how markets must be balanced with other mechanisms to ensure fairness for everyone. He’s also done some fantastic work understanding political division and bridging differences, particularly in his starring role in the documentary UNDIVIDE US, which you can see here.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Daniel

PS. The Beacon Project podcast is now available on all streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!

Big things are happening at the Beacon Project! Last week we released our first article on a new framework for America’s Exhausted Majority; this week we are launching a podcast! Over the coming weeks, I’ll be hosting a series of interesting conversations with leaders in civil society and academia on some of the biggest issues facing our democracy, on topics ranging from polarization to culture to social media.

It was a joy and honor to have Eric Liu be the podcast’s inaugural guest. Eric is the CEO of Citizen University, an organization that is actively shaping civic culture across the country through workshops, gatherings, and other programming.

I first met Eric at an event hosted by the Beacon Project last May, and since then have come to see him as one of the most eloquent and passionate forces behind the movement to renew civic life in America. Aside from this resume credentials, of which there are many (including 8 books!), Eric is a deeply insightful, wise, and clear thinker who always has a way of shedding new light on familiar topics.

In this conversation, we cover a range of topics, including why citizenship is so important right now, politics as “pain relief,” grief, hope, and the future of our democracy.

If you prefer to listen to your podcasts on iTunes or Spotify, stay tuned: we’ll be posting links for those shortly.

Enjoy!

Daniel