Let’s Find Common Ground

Latest Episodes:

Our Common Ground: What Polling Doesn't Reveal About Americans. Diane Hessan Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

All too often people in public life talk past each other and assume that all Americans are rigid Republicans or determined Democrats. So what happens when we actually listen and give voters the respect and space they need to explain how their true opinions?

On guns, abortion, government spending and even partisan politics, most people may not be nearly as far apart as polling suggests.

For more than four years, our guest, entrepreneur and market researcher, Diane Hessan, conducted a remarkable series of conversations with hundreds of voters from all across the country. She checked in with them every week. What Diane found may surprise you, give you hope, and change the way you feel about your fellow Americans.

Diane also has some fascinating insights into the role of business, and how corporations could bridge divides among their workforce and the public at large.

Note: Please take our brand new listener survey at commongroundcommittee.org/podcasts. We value your feedback.

"Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future" with Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns to discuss their latest book and the degree to which the two-party system has been strained to the point of disintegration.

Featuring:

Jonathan Martin - Co-Author, "This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future"; National Political Correspondent, New York Times

Alexander Burns - Co Author, "This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future"; National Correspondent, New York Times; Political Analyst, CNN

Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Mike Murphy - Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Political Analyst

We're Less Divided Than We Think: Tony Woodlief May 26, 2022

Show notes

Every day on social media and cable TV, in newspapers and magazines, we're told that we live in a red-versus-blue world of rigid divides. Our podcast guest, Tony Woodlief, begs to differ.

"In reality, most people fall somewhere in the middle, or else have a complex blend of views from both sides of the aisle, Tony tells us. His new book "I, Citizen" uses polling data, political history, and on-the-ground reporting to make the case that party activists and partisans are attempting to undermine the freedom of Americans to govern themselves and make decisions that have a direct impact on their lives.

Many people have fallen for a false narrative promoted by leaders of political parties, academia, media, and government, that we're all team red or team blue, he argues. In this episode, we learn a different perspective and discuss how all of us can find common ground in our local neighborhoods and national discourse.

Depolarizing America: Building Consensus Step-by-Step. Kelly Johnston and Rob Fersh May 12, 2022

Show notes

Kelly Johnston and Rob Fersh disagree strongly on many issues, and voted differently in the 2020 presidential election. But they are friends and “agree on major steps that must be taken for the nation to heed President-elect Biden’s welcome call for us to come together.”

Both believe that constructive steps must be taken to help build trust among Democrats and Republicans, despite deep polarization and a firm resistance to bipartisanship from both ends of the political spectrum. They encourage open dialogue between sectors and interest groups whose views diverge in an effort to deal with divisive political discourse.

Rob Fersh founded Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, and previously worked for Democrats on the staffs of three congressional committees. Kelly Johnston, also a founding board member of Convergence, is a committed Republican and former Secretary of the U.S. Senate. In this episode of Let’s Find Common Ground, produced in partnership with Convergence, we talk with both Fersh and Johnston about bridge building and why this work is so urgently needed in an era of political gridlock.

How Our Accents Can Divide and Unite Us Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

We all judge others on how they sound: their accent, their pronunciation, their use of slang. Some of us have been criticized for these things ourselves, mocked because we sound different from those around us.

The way we speak can be a source of division. But it doesn’t have to be.

In this episode we speak with Jessica Mendoza and Jingnan Peng of the Christian Science Monitor. They host the Monitor’s new podcast Say That Again?, which explores how we sound, how we listen, and how we can come to better understand each other.

Both hosts and guests on this show were once newcomers to the US. We hear some personal stories of how their own voices have affected their experience, and how listening differently can help us all find common ground.

The Politics of Energy and Climate Change Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Center Director Bob Shrum joins a panel of energy experts and industry leaders to discuss the latest national policies advancing cleaner energy and curbing the effects of climate change, in commemoration of Earth Day.

Featuring:

Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife
Ted Bardacke - CEO, Clean Power Alliance Ivan Penn - Energy Correspondent, New York Times
Jason Rondou - Director of Resource Planning, Development & Programs at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Aura Vasquez - Chair of Climate Action Committee, Sierra Club Los Angeles Chapter; Former Commissioner, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Guns: Ryan Busse Loves Them But Sees the Need for Limits on How They’re Used & Sold Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

The recent mass shootings in Sacramento, California, and at a subway station in Brooklyn, New York have prompted renewed calls for action on gun control. In this podcast episode, we gain a unique perspective on the raging debate with a former gun industry executive who says the NRA and its supporters have gone too far.

Our guest, Ryan Busse grew up around guns— hunting and shooting with his father. He is a proud gun owner, hunter, and an avid outdoorsman, who lives in Montana. But today, Busse says that his industry radicalized large numbers of Americans, and argues it must change before gun violence can be reduced and our nation can heal.

After a successful 30-year career, he decided to retire from the gun manufacturer he worked for, and write "Gunfight", a book that tells the inside story of a little-known industry. In this episode, we learn about Busse's lifelong love of guns and discuss his call for sensible rules of conduct.

A Conversation with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski to discuss her decades-long efforts to bridge partisan divides and promote sustainability efforts, and her thoughts on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Featuring:

Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife
Lisa Murkowski - U.S. Senator (R-AK)

Healing Conversations Across Dangerous Divides: Mónica Guzmán Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who strongly support Donald Trump. We hear her warm personal story of how Mónica set out to understand what divides America and discovered ways to overcome divisions that hurt our relationships and society.

In this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", we discuss ways to use our own sense of curiosity to have rewarding cross-partisan conversations with colleagues, friends, and family.

Mónica Guzmán is the author of the new book, "I Never Thought Of It That Way". She serves as an advisor to the depolarization organization, Braver Angels. Our interview shows listeners how to cross boundaries and find common ground with others from different viewpoints and life experiences.

How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

CPF Executive Director Kamy Akhavan joins Sangita Shresthova, research director at Civic Paths Group, and Monica Guzman, journalist and author, to discuss her latest book and share insights on how to better understand and connect with those whose opinions and beliefs vastly differ.

Featuring: Kamy Akhavan - Executive Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future Mónica Guzmán - Author, "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times," Digital Director, Braver Angels Sangita Shresthova - Director of Research, Civic Paths Group at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

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