As America marks its 250th anniversary, the milestone reveals a nation reflecting on its past—and questioning its future. While some celebrate with pride, others feel conflicted. What long-term changes in American life have led us to this moment? What does it mean to be American today? And for those feeling discouraged or disconnected from politics, what practical steps can they take to help shape the country's direction and regain a sense of agency?

Articles mentioned:

https://crossingpartylines.com/2026/07/01/loving-a-country-enough-to-keep-working-on-it/

A winner-take-all approach may make sense in sports, but in politics, it can leave many people feeling they don't have a voice whilst also limiting the marketplace of ideas. So why does America still have a two-party system when so many voters say it doesn't represent them? Could a different voting system—or even a six-party democracy—reshape American politics? And beyond the traditional left-right divide, what other ways are there to think about political representation?

Take the political typology quiz: 

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/14/opinion/fix-congress-proportional-representation.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/

Podcast mentioned:

https://outrageoverload.net/

The current conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel began in late February. Four months later, much remains unresolved. Should the United States have taken action against Iran in the first place? Has it achieved its objectives? How have rising prices affected Americans personally? And what should happen next?

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in 1949 to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.” Seventy-three years later, many are wondering whether it’s time to look at the organization’s effectiveness. Does NATO still have a purpose in today's world? If so, in what situations?

We've funneled ourselves into "Red" or "Blue". When in reality there’s an enormous range of colors on the political spectrum. You can even find different “shades” within a single party.

The Pew Research Center recently released a report that identified nine distinct political sub-groups. From "Establishment Liberals", to "Stressed Sideliners", to the "Ambivalent Right", and more. What group do you think you belong to? What group do you actually belong to? And how might this change the way you talk or think about American politics?

Political Typology Quiz
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/

Pew Research Report: Political Typology
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/11/09/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology-2/

Pew Typology Summary
https://crossingpartylines.com/PewTypologySummary.pdf

America has been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years. That makes it the longest war in American history.  But now, the few thousand troops remaining are leaving. Is it time to leave? What has the war cost everyone? What, if anything, has been achieved? And what is America leaving behind?

The debate around raising the federal minimum wage has flared up again. What are the arguments for and against increasing it? Should we have a minimum wage at all? Or should we trade it in for a living wage?

As the dust settles on the 2020 US Presidential Election, we ask three Americans how they feel about how it went, what they wish the other party knew about them, what they expect from a Biden Administration and where they think former President Donald Trump and his supporters go from here.

On Wednesday, January 6th, a crowd stormed the Capitol building. Some walked around. Some took photos. Some vandalized property. Some engaged in violence. Why? And how do Americans feel about what happened?

In this new 'Talking to...' series we’ll get to learn about individual Americans, how they came to think the way they do, what they think are the most important problems facing the country and why.

In this episode we’re talking to Erik, an Independent, from New York.