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How Do We Fix It?: Daily Summaries Delivered
by DaviesContent
From politics to the personal, we're about bridging rigid partisan divides and listening with respect to different points of view. Our podcast is hosted by longtime journalist Richard Davies. We challenge authors, experts and provocateurs in a search for positive, practical ideas. Guests include David Blankenhorn, Mónica Guzmán, Dr. Francis Collins, and other leaders and members of Braver Angels. “How Do We Fix It?" - a repair manual for the real world. Produced by DaviesContent.
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- 4 days ago28 min
Why I’m So Hopeful After The Midterm Elections: Maury Giles
At 5:45 am on election morning, the CEO of Braver Angels began his day as a volunteer poll worker in the town where he lives in Utah. All that day and well into the night, Maury Giles worked alongside fellow local volunteers to make sure that the vote was properly conducted at his local polling station.“Elections are beautiful things,” he says. “If you’re ever concerned about elections, just be a poll worker and realize how amazing it is.”In this episode Maury Giles shares his thoughts about what just happened this November, and why the clear national outcome gives him hope. “People are hungry for a different way of building together across differences because we have so many issues that need to be addressed.”We hear Maury’s observations about the election and what should happen next.From Troy Jackson in Maine—a fifth generation logger— and wheelchair user and Paralympian Josh Turek, to the nation’s first Latina governor in Texas, Native American Senator from Minnesota, and Black woman governor of Georgia, “we ended up with a lot of diverse, different kinds of people in very unique and historic roles.”Maury is “really hopeful that we’ve just experienced provides an important window for us to practice courageous citizenship even deeper, more openly and recognize that we have a rare moment in front of us.”But he’s concerned that the next two years could be wasted on retribution not repair. If elected Democrats go down the path of ‘we’re going to investigate everybody in the Trump Administration’, and impeach the President, then I believe we will go further into polarization and not solving things.”Maury hopes that "in these next two years can we focus not on the man but on the system, on immigration, money in politics, and a Congress that actually works. Passing laws might anger some, “but are we going to feed the base or feed the people?”Our interview also looks at the need to change America’s political culture of rewarding hyper individualism at the expense of a thriving community. “When it comes to the conflict entrepreneurs we are both the product and the consumer,” he says. "Until we shift what we demand and what we will give of ourselves, we won’t make a change”And there are lessons across the board from this election for partisans of both sides. “It’s not about the pursuit of feeling good but being good so that you can contributes to improvement and being in community with society. That’s the culture change we’re trying to drive”Maury Giles is a husband, a father of ten in a blended family, and a conservative. He volunteered with Braver Angels for five years, moderating Red/Blue workshops and leading bipartisan legislative initiatives through Braver Politics. Now, he’s the CEO of Braver Angels.Richard Davies is the blue-leaning host of “How Do We Fix It?”, a podcast that asks questions with curiosity and respect for different viewpoints. Richard spend four decades as an on-air correspondent and reporter at ABC News. His Substack is Here Hear! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Hey, Liberals. Don't Shame the Other Side: Erica Etelson
Writer, depolarization activist, and former human rights attorney, Erica Etelson, is a committed liberal who works with fellow leftists on how to communicate more effectively with moderates and conservatives across lines of difference. As we hear in this lively and revealing episode, some of her strongest criticisms about style and strategy are aimed at her own side.We explore what Erica Etelson learned from Braver Angels members and others about how to listen respectfully and passionately across deep political divides without understating or downplaying one's beliefs and ideas. She believes that when liberals ridicule or shame those who they disagree with they lose votes and support for their cause.Her book is “Beyond Contempt: How Liberals Can Communicate Across The Great Divide”. As co-founder and Board President of The Rural Urban Bridge Initiative, Erica develops strategies to build trust and open hearts and minds in unexpected ways.“What we want ultimately is better representation of rural people, and better governance, which means having more competitive elections in rural places,” she says. “What we have right now is one party that takes the rural vote for granted, and then another party that's like given up” in many parts of the country “written off” rural voters.As she was writing her book Erica changed her mind about how to listen to Trump voters. “I think the biggest thing was I was part of the problem.” Erica had been living in a liberal bubble thinking that she could convince the other side that it was wrong. Today she says, “I don’t want to be arguing. I don’t want to be convincing. It’s exhausting. Letting go of that burden of I’m right and I have to convince people to see it my way was liberating.”Erica wrote recently that while America needs a collective commitment to shared principles such has the rule of law and free speech, the most important value is kindness. “The one thing that’s within each of our individual control is our ability to extend basic kindness and decency to each other.”Erica Etelson is one of America’s most creative thinkers about the causes and costs of polarization. A former public interest attorney, she brings knowledge of law and policy to her journalism and activism. Her articles have appeared in a range of publications, including The Nation, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, High Country News, Progressive Populist, Alternet, and Truthout. She is a frequent contributor to Substack.Host Richard Davies has enjoyed a long career as a radio journalist, podcaster and communication consultant. He spent more than four decades as an on-air Correspondent at ABC News. His Substack column is Here Hear! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Oct 9, 202621 min
Braver Teens. What Happens When We Really Listen: Mary Thomas-Vallens
Lifelong educator and Braver Angels volunteer Mary Thomas-Vallens gets more hopeful about America’s political future when she’s working with teens. “I’m fired up every time I talk to them,” she tells How Do We Fix It?. “I am their biggest cheerleader.”In this episode we also hear from Braver Teens, the youngest members of the bridging movement that works to depolarize politics and work across rigid divides. “They’re showing incredible courage because they’re stepping away from the outrage”, says Mary. They’re “acting instead of silencing themselves”. Young people can also bring remarkable passion, energy, and social media savvy to campaigns and events.We discuss how members of Braver Angels can learn from teenagers, and what high school students get from working with adults. In a time of deep partisan divisions, cancel culture, and online shaming, how can 15, 16, and 17-year-olds help adults change our definition of citizenship? We hear from Jenna Freeman, Seraphine Chen, and Mia Dougherty, three of the Braver Teens who made presentations at the most recent Braver Angels National Convention. They are planning to set up a new website to help other teens set up workshops and discussion groups at their high schools.“I came into this expecting to learn about leadership and politics. I did, but I also learned that most of my assumptions about people weren’t based on experiences. They were based on distance”, says Jenna Freeman of her in-person conversations with fellow students from different political backgrounds. “Understanding people doesn’t require agreeing with them, but just being willing to know them.”Mary Thomas-Vallens is a lifelong educator with extensive experience in curriculum and staff development. She was a public school teacher for 41 years and taught graduate-level courses at Chapman and Concordia Universities. She has led workshops exploring the teacher behaviors and questions that best foster students' intrinsic motivation, critical and creative thinking, and academic and interpersonal success. Today, she co-facilitates the Moderator Forums and leads the BA Education Community Network. Mary loves engaging others through workshops and encouraging high schoolers to be "Braver Teens."Read more here: "Braver Angels really helped me see the humanity from the other side: One high schooler's journey to better political conversations", by Gabriella Kearns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 25, 202629 min
Busting Out of Your Bubble. How Wesley Warshawer Did It
In 2017, data analyst Wesley Warshawer was shocked by a poll that said 50% of Americans supported Donald Trump, about half lived with a gun their home, and a third believed in a literal reading of The Book of Genesis.This didn’t match the views of anyone he knew in Silicon Valley, California. What he read about our country's deep divides led him to sell his apartment in San Jose and spend 18 months living in some of the most conservative parts of America.What he found was that most people across the country, from right wing conservatives to lefty liberals live by a similar ethical code. “I was so shocked to find that we were so similar”, Wesley told us. To his surprise, the bubbles in California and in rural America turned out to be quite alike.In this episode we explore whether Americans are a lot less divided and more friendly than we’ve been told. We consider what can be learned about America when we listen and acknowledge people with different political beliefs. We also discuss this provocative question: Do Braver Angels and other groups in the bridging community have it wrong about how polarized we are?Wesley Warshawer shares moving stories about what he learned from his travels to Bismark, North Dakota, Biloxi and Clarksdale, Mississippi, and other conservative parts of America.“I always think it’s so paradoxical that the best way to learn about yourself is to meet other people. And the best way to learn about your bubble is to leave it.”Find many more of our podcasts at http://www.howdowefixit.me. We report on the people, projects, and ideas of Braver Angels and others who are working every day to bridge divides, rebuild America’s civic muscle, and make courageous citizenship the accepted norm. Most episodes are 30 minutes or less.Our guest, Wesley Warshawer, is a business analyst in Silicon Valley’s semiconductor industry, a Fulbright Scholar to South Korea, essayist, podcast host, and public speaker. He loves his work. For a living he analyzes data and communicates about it. Wesley has looked for wisdom in travel— across the world, or simply across town, meeting a new person or experiencing a new neighborhood. “Outside your comfort zone", he says, “you are a sponge to personal insight and growth.”Our host Richard Davies spent four decades as a Radio Correspondent at ABC News. Richard writes a Substack column about issues covered by “How Do We Fix It?”. His “Here Hear” posts offer frequent thoughts on listening, language, and public square. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 11, 202628 min
AllSides: Balanced News, Bias Ratings, Dialogue Across Difference. John Gable
What role does the news media play in polarizing us? How do print, radio, TV, and online journalists reinforce our views of the world rather than connecting us to all sides of an issue? Our guest is John Gable, co-founder and CEO of AllSides.com, which rates news media sites for bias, organizes citizen roundtables, and links readers every day to coverage from left, right, and center-biased media. AllSides presents major news stories from a range of perspectives. In the episode we hear how it does it and why.Over four decades our podcast host, Richard Davies, worked in network radio newsrooms as a correspondent, reporter, and newscaster. He shares his concern that the work of many journalists “does more to divide us than make people curious about new ideas including those we disagree with or simply weren’t aware of.”At its worst, news coverage can be preachy, one-sided, or contain flat out lies. As consumers, how do we navigate this? What’s the best way to find balanced and truthful news that you can trust? Every day, AllSides dot com offers a free service: balanced news from MAGA, conservative, centrist, liberal and progressive publications. “The mission at AllSides is to free people from filter bubbles, to help them understand the world and each other,” John tells us in this episode. “If you only know the facts and don’t understand each other that’s not understanding.”John Gable is co-founder and CEO of AllSides, a public benefit corporation. He often writes about news coverage, polarization, and how technology impacts the media. John believes that information integrity is needed in news, AI, businesses, schools, government, and throughout our daily lives — wherever good decisions matter.Richard writes a Substack column about “How Do We Fix It?”. His “Here Hear” posts also offer frequent thoughts on language, politics, and the public square. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 28, 202623 min
Can Democrats and Republicans Learn To Listen? Patricia Higgins & Doug Teschner
Here’s something many Democrats and Republicans agree on: The way we debate and discuss politics is messed up. We talk past each other instead of getting things done. Huge amounts of time and money are wasted on bickering and bravado. Neither political party has built a lasting coalition to deal with the most urgent problems of the day. In this podcast we look something local and practical: New Hampshire’s experiment in bi-partisan cooperation. Dozens of state legislators are part of the nation’s first Braver Angels-inspired cross partisan caucus where elected officials put aside political combat and learn skills of cooperation. Our guests are Democrat Patricia Higgins and Republican Doug Teschner. Patricia served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2012 to 2018. Doug is also a former state legislator, and co-author of the recent book, “Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times.”Both work with New Hampshire politicians at workshops and other events where caucus members learn how to disagree better and listen closely to the views of the other side.“It’s not easy and it has its ups and downs, but we’re excited we found people who are committed to the idea that we need to get along and have relationships,” Doug told us. “It’s not that we can’t disagree. We should disagree, but do it respectfully.”Political polarization is part of everyday life in America. Families are divided, friendships have been torn apart, public meetings can descend into shouting matches, and the work of elected officials can be stalled or disrupted when the political becomes the personal. “We know that fundamentally Americans need to learn how to talk with one another,” says Patricia Higgins. “This has to part of all the work that we do.”In this podcast we also discuss courageous citizenship, what Doug and Patricia learned as civic renewal activists, and the many challenges facing the national movement to bridge bitter partisan divides. How Do We Fix It? is a member of the Democracy Group network of podcasts and media publications. Our latest podcasts cover the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels.Journalist Richard Davies is the host of “How Do We Fix It?” During four decades as an ABC News Radio Correspondent, Richard covered breaking news in 35 states and filed reports from more than ten nations in Europe, The Middle East and Latin America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 14, 202629 min
Exact Same Place. Very Different Viewpoints. Chauncey Williams & Maryanne Colter
Here’s the bad news about civic renewal: It will not come easily or quickly. Toxic divides won’t be dramatically reduced because of one person or a dramatic election result. Renewal of America’s civic culture will require enormous effort in every state of the nation.Now the good news. Everyone can make a difference. Participation in renewal requires neither money nor fame. It begins with all of us. Locally and often through one-on-one conversations. These personal encounters can change hearts and minds.Our guests are Braver Angels volunteers Maryanne Colter and Chauncey Williams. Both of them embrace civic renewal in their communities.“So much of our politics today is ‘I just want to win’, but we’re not getting anything done because we can’t talk to one another,” says Maryanne, who serves as state coordinator for Braver Angels in Illinois.At workshops and other events, she works to physically bring opposite sides together in the same room. “This is where the magic happens, when we can sit across the table and treat people as human beings.”Chauncey Williams was honored recently at the Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia for what he’s doing in Colorado. His unique project is called “Chats in the Park”. Chauncey visits parks in the Denver area, where he sets up a poster that says “what’s on your mind” along with two chairs next to him: One for Chauncey and the other for anyone who’d like to have a one-on-one conversation.Chauncey’s chats often change minds, including his own. “It’s been an interesting journey for me,” he says. “I’ve often been fascinated and humbled by realizing my own limitations in knowledge, and having that revealed.”“It’s been both an uncomfortable and also fun part of these conversations.”Both of these interviews were featured in earlier episodes of “How Do We Fix It?” Here are to our longer podcasts with Chauncey and Maryanne.Learn more about Braver Angels workshops and other activities.“How Do We Fix It?” is hosted by Richard Davies, and produced by Miranda Shafer. We get frequent help from Maury Giles, Gabby Kearns, and Wilk Wilkinson. Please review and subscribe to our frequent episodes where you listen to podcasts. Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jul 31, 202636 min
Hope Resilience and Citizenship. Yuval Levin
“Braver Angels events always leave me hopeful and energized,” says Yuval Levin of the recent Convention in Philadelphia. “A lot of people from different parts of our politics, from different parts of our country, from different parts of our economy come together and express a a kind of conviction that ultimately our country matters more than our parties, and our country matters more than ideological convictions.”In this wide-ranging conversation with one of America’s most admired public intellectuals, we discuss the resilience of the American constitutional system, the impact of attention politics, and the need for constructive disagreement and courageous citizenship at a time of toxic divides.“The American political tradition speaks in the first person plural in a really beautiful way and speaks in the voice of a people taking a kind of common ownership of their future together,” he says.Yuval Levin is a conservative political thinker and theorist, but unlike most writers and journalists of the right or left, he is a gentle advocate who does not argue for a strictly partisan agenda. His most recent book is "American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation— And Could Again".Levin is The Editor-in-Chief of National Affairs and the director of Social, Cultural and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a leading think tank in Washington D.C. Levin’s has written many articles for The National Review, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and other widely-read publications.He says that he is worried that America’s constitutional system is “under some assault by a president who wants too much power, and by a Congress that wants too little power and therefore is willing to allow the system to be deformed.”However, Levin remains hopeful. In retrospect, “I think our time will seem more stable and less divided than it seems to us,” he tells “How Do We Fix It?” “Our division is real. We need to make sure we don’t allow it to tear us apart. The fact that it has always been like this isn’t a reason not to worry. It’s a reason to take it seriously.”Recommendation: Yuval Levin recommends “The American Revolution”, a recent 12-part PBS documentary by Ken Burns. “It doesn't take partisan sides, and tells the story of the revolution in a very, very engaging way.”Here's a link to one of Yuval Levin's appearences at the 2026 Braver Angels Convention. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About How Do We Fix It?
From politics to the personal, we're about bridging rigid partisan divides and listening with respect to different points of view. Our podcast is hosted by longtime journalist Richard Davies. We challenge authors, experts and provocateurs in a search for positive, practical ideas. Guests include David Blankenhorn, Mónica Guzmán, Dr. Francis Collins, and other leaders and members of Braver Angels. “How Do We Fix It?" - a repair manual for the real world. Produced by DaviesContent.
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