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