After all the screechy politics, what are the actual solutions that all Americans want to see become law? Deboarah Devedjian is actively engaging every day citizens in an effort to find those answers! The founder and "Chief Citizens Officer" of The Chisel talks to Michael about how her team is using technology to educate and to innovate American Democracy!

Why is Donald Trump's political party sticking with him after his firing of James Comes and the interview the President gave tying his decision to the Russia investigation? What are the politics driving all of the calculations behind the scenes on Capitol Hill? National Journal Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar breaks it all down on this Friday night edition of the "Mean!"

Do facts matter? Do Americans still care anymore about electing leaders who have expertise? Is our country just under-informed or are we wrongly-informed? These questions are the subject of Tom Nichols' new book, The Death Of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge And How It Matters. A professor on national security at the Naval War College, Nichols joins the show to talk about his book, our media culture, and the vexing challenges facing the U.S. in Syria and North Korea.

Anne Wedner created "America Of My Dreams" in early 2017 to learn more about how our fellow citizens view the roles and responsibilities of American government. Anne's team is fanning out across "flyover country" to collect the thoughts and ideas of "Citizen Philosophers," and then publicly sharing all of their feedback online. Just after meeting with folks in Leawood, KS, Anne joined the show to talk about what people are saying - and how the whole adventure got started!

Why should we even care about Congress? Why are the lawmakers that we pay with our tax dollars so unpopular? Is it just raw politics that screws up the workings in Washington, or is there some straightforward stuff we can do to empower our elected officials? Kevin Kosar has the answers! A true expert on how Capitol Hill operates and the Director of the Governance Project at R-Street Institute, Kevin shares insights from a new bipartisan effort on Congress that he cofounded a year ago. Listen in for solutions!

Faith Sidlow is a former award-winning television news reporter who now teaches broadcast journalism at Fresno State University. Faith and her students join the show from the Merlyn Burris Studio on campus to talk about the "Global News Relay" they just hosted and the broadcasting careers they're about to embark upon.

Yael Luttwak is a documentarian and the founder of Slim Peace Groups, a non-profit organization that emerged from her film of the same name. "A SLIM PEACE" portrayed the drama of Israeli and Palestinian women in a weight-loss cohort involving Jews, Muslims, and Christian Arabs. Yael is now doing post-production on a new film, "MAINE GIRLS," which follows 13 immigrant and non-immigrant girls as they learn what it takes – and what it means – to make genuine friendships and lead by example.

Steve Glickman knows both politics and economics, and his career has been dedicated to using that knowledge to help Americans secure jobs and become successful in their work lives. On this episode of the "Mean," Steve answers many of Michael's burning questions about HOW the people who were elected in 2016 can actually get their heads on the same page and create jobs in America!

The hit show "The Circus" is back on Showtime! And its star and co-creator, Mark McKinnon, is back on the "Mean!" The former strategist and presidential adviser talks about the new season, the haggle over healthcare, and missed opportunities in the young Trump administration.

Attempts at bipartisanship in the U.S. Congress will not die - not if Derek Kilmer has anything to say about it. The U.S. Representative from Washington State's 6th District puts policy above politics in this conversation on the "Mean." Kilmer talks about the "Invest in Opportunity Act," the real problems in the VA's health care system, the value of community college and vocational schools, and his bill to strengthen the FEC in order to dilute the "money flood" on Capitol Hill. Derek Kilmer demonstrates what common sense looks like.