How to Fix It with John Avlon

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Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep9: You SHOULD Give A Damn About The NATIONAL DEBT (w/ Maya MacGuineas) | How To Fix It Mar 02, 2025

John Avlon sits down with fiscal policy expert Maya MacGuineas to dissect the growing national debt, deficit, and the political dysfunction surrounding fiscal responsibility in Washington. They explore why skyrocketing debt should concern every American—not just economists and policymakers—and discuss practical, bipartisan solutions to restore fiscal balance.

S2 Ep8: Rethinking the Environmental Movement (with Rachel Pritzker) Feb 23, 2025

Climate activists have long advocated for consuming less energy and shrinking our carbon footprint. But a growing ecomodernist movement argues that we need more energy for prosperity, security—and to help combat climate change as well. Philanthropist Rachel Pritzker joins John to discuss the renewed interest in nuclear power, the bipartisan support for more energy infrastructure, and reorienting away from environmental orthodoxies.
Rachel Pritzker joins John Avlon.
show notes

S2 Ep7: End the Tech Overlords' Self-Protection Racket (with Chris Hughes) Feb 16, 2025

Since the ‘90s, tech companies have been virtually immune from lawsuits over what’s posted on their platforms, even though their algorithms are amplifying misinformation, hate, and dangerous content that incites violence. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes tells John that the public would never agree to a blanket liability shield for industries like banking, airlines, food, and pharmaceuticals—and it's high time that Section 230 gets scrapped.
show notes

S2 Ep6: The AI War on Normal People (with Andrew Yang) Feb 09, 2025

The Founding Fathers were aware that yawning gaps between rich and poor destabilize a society. And with AI driving ever greater income inequality while it eats through American jobs—blue-collar, white-collar, and the kind of work in professional services firms that college grads have trained for— our country’s leaders should be responding to the reality that is already upon us. Andrew Yang has been warning for years about the inevitable impacts of AI on our economy and our democracy, and he joins John to discuss possible solutions, including universal basic income and child tax credits.
Andrew Yang joins John Avlon.
show notes
Andrew's 2018 book, "The War on Normal People"

S2 Ep5: Make Congress Work (with Yuval Levin) Feb 02, 2025

In other democracies, when a party wins an election it wins all the power. But American democracy is different, and under the Constitution, members of Congress are supposed to engage in cross-partisan bargaining—yet they’re failing at this very basic job. What we’re left with are spending bills finalized at midnight before a government shutdown, and party line votes that are undone by other party line votes. Yuval Levin joins John to discuss some remedies: expanding the number of House members, re-empowering committees to reduce some of the leadership’s power, and using rank-choice voting to get the kind of candidates who bargain and build coalitions.

S2 Ep4: DOGE Is Doing it Wrong (with Philip K. Howard) Jan 26, 2025

Elon wants to cut government programs, but that won’t make government more efficient. But changing how the government does things—by streamlining the permitting and purchasing processes, for example—will make government more effective, efficient, and responsive to the public. Plus, instilling fear among federal employees and helping fulfill Trump’s urge to say “you’re fired.”
show notes
Philip's group, Common Good
Philip's books, "Everyday Freedom" and "Try Common Sense"
Will Marshall's piece arguing for Democrats to have their own kind of DOGE

S2 Ep3: Keeping the Faith in the Fight to Defend Democracy (with Anne Applebaum) Jan 19, 2025

As Trump retakes the Oval Office, John speaks with Anne Applebaum about how to stay in the fight of our times. In this horseshoe moment, she says the center-left and center-right have to stick together as Trump makes moves to exercise power without checks and balances. Meanwhile, we need to read and support local and regional journalism to keep the information and debate flowing—and to counter the algorithmic assault on our democracy from platforms pushing content that’s not necessarily true. Plus, expect corruption, but let’s not let them get away with it.
show notes
Anne's "Twilight of Democracy" and "Autocracy, Inc."
Anne's piece on the new Rasputins

S2 Ep2: Avoiding Partisan Gridlock Jan 12, 2025

Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi, who represents a Long Island district that Trump also won, argues that the real election mandate was for border security, reducing the cost of living, and turning down the volume on the culture wars—not one-party rule. Suozzi talks with John about where he thinks Dems can work with Republicans and which areas are non-negotiable, including on climate and the environment. Plus, what happened to Trump’s big promises on Ukraine and the hostages, and how some 80s movies help explain the challenges facing the middle class.
Rep. Tom Suozzi joins John Avlon.
show notes

S2 Ep1: A Civics Deficit in the Classroom Jan 05, 2025

As schools have continued to emphasize STEM courses and other subjects, civics has largely fallen off the curriculum calendar in most states—and we’re now living in a country roiled by political divisions and fears of violence. Richard Haass joins John to discuss the need for teaching what it means to be an American, the challenges of implementing a national civics curriculum, and how more nonprofit foundations should step up to support a new generation of Schoolhouse Rock-like projects, especially as the 250th anniversary of the U. S. approaches. Amb. Richard Haass joins John Avlon.
show notes

S1 Ep5: Ancient Lessons for Defeating a Demagogue Nov 03, 2024

The Founding Fathers studied the fall of the Roman Republic, and tried to create a democracy that could withstand someone like Donald Trump. On a special pre-election show, Daily Stoic’s Ryan Holiday talks with John about how history’s lessons can guide us through this perilous time.
Ryan Holiday joins John Avlon.
show notes
Ryan's website, "Daily Stoic"
Ryan's coversation with Mike Duncan

S1 Ep4: The Keys to Solving the Immigration Problem Oct 27, 2024

The law of supply and demand also applies at the border: We can’t really stop all illegal immigration—in part because of the lure of a better life here, but also because of our own labor needs. And Americans are just too educated for a lot of ordinary but necessary jobs. But a number of fixes could help, including changing asylum rules—a key part of the border bill that Trump had killed.
Linda Chavez joins John Avlon to break it all down.
show notes:
Linda's book, "Out of the Barrio"
Other sources of information on border security and immigration:
https://immigrationforum.org/
https://www.brookings.edu/
https://www.pewresearch.org/

S1 Ep3: Getting Back to the People’s Business Oct 20, 2024

Former Oklahoma congressman Mickey Edwards sees a way out of our polarizing and divisive politics. He explains to John what voters can do, what Congress can do—and how the schools can help by teaching kids critical thinking skills. Plus, Mickey shares his insights on Kamala from her district attorney days, when she had the makings of a rising star. Mickey Edwards joins John Avlon.
show notes
Books by Mickey Edwards
Book mentioned by Mickey: "The Big Sort," by Bill Bishop
Book mentioned by John: "Burning Down the House," by Julian Zelizer

S1 Ep2: Rolling Back the Phone-Based Childhood Oct 13, 2024

Rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents shot up around the same time kids were switching from flip phones to smartphones. And as teens were moving more of their social lives online, loneliness and friendlessness surged as well. Jonathan Haidt joins John Avlon to discuss how to restore a play-based childhood—including his prescriptions for parents, schools, and members of Congress.
show notes
Haidt's book, "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness"
More info on Haidt's "Let Grow" play club
Time article John referenced about uniting America

S1 Ep1: A Poisoning in the Land Oct 03, 2024

The United States is in the midst of one of the worst drug epidemics it has ever faced, with nearly 80,000 Americans dying every year from fentanyl poisoning. John speaks with Kamal Bherwani, whose 22-year-old son, Ethan, was a victim of the crisis. Bherwani is now on the front lines, fighting for solutions to limit supply, increase enforcement, improve education about the lethal drug, and save lives.Kamal Bherwani joins John Avlon.

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