‘There Are Very Few Democracies That Are as Polarized as We Are Today’: A Conversation with Jennifer McCoy

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University, about how the American political system encourages polarization, how elite political rhetoric influences the behavior of the general public, and whether both parties are equally to blame for our current predicament.

“People don’t want this polarization, but it’s locked- in because of our political system.”  –  Jennifer McCoy

‘Political Polarization Has Become Almost a Form of Entertainment’: A Conversation with Clionadh Raleigh

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Clionadh Raleigh, a professor of political violence and geography at the University of Sussex, about violence across the globe, from Ukraine to Myanmar, and about the effects of political polarization in the United States.

“I think that a lot of people are getting radicalized in their opinions without becoming radicalized in their actions.” — Clionadh Raleigh  

‘There’s Nothing Inevitable or Permanent about Democracy’: A Conversation with Robert Talisse

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Vanderbilt University philosophy professor Robert Talisse about how “belief polarization” can erode democracy.

“As we become more extreme, more confident, and more dismissive of countervailing voices, we also become more willing to engage in risky behavior on behalf of our beliefs. ” – Robert Talisse

‘Stories about the Way the Nation Is Organized Are Dividing Us’: A Conversation with Richard Slotkin

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews historian Richard Slotkin, author of the recent book, A Great Disorder: National Myth and the Battle for America.

“If we could think of ourselves as members of a national community, sharing common interests and a common identity, we might be able to work out some kind of response to the challenges we face. ” – Richard Slotkin

‘We’re Ignoring Our Common Values and Interests’: A Conversation with Monica Harris

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Monica Harris, executive director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) and author of the book The Illusion of Division, about what’s really dividing Americans, and why race relations in the United States have gotten off track.

“I don’t think rage is confined to White rural America. My perception is that rage is spilling over into White suburban rage, White urban rage, Black urban rage. It’s a general rage.”

– Monica Harris

‘A Diffused Climate of Threats and Intimidation’: A Conversation with Daniel Stid

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Daniel Stid, former head of Hewlett Foundation’s US Democracy program and founder of Lyceum Labs, about the health of American civic culture.

“The more that we can try to solve this problem away from the thunderdome of national politics, the more I think we can make headway. I think the solutions to polarization are likely to be found in Ingham County, Michigan, or Paducah, Kentucky, or Fresno, California. ” – Daniel Stid

‘A Healthy Democracy Requires Social Trust’: A Conversation with Ilana Redstone

‘A Healthy Democracy Requires Social Trust’: A Conversation with Ilana Redstone

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Ilana Redstone, a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois, and a former co-director of The Mill Institute, about the decline in social trust in the United States, the importance of trying to understand your political opponents, and the tension between advancing free speech and protecting vulnerable groups.

“Human beings have two ways to resolve conflict: words and violence.” — Ilana Redstone

‘Democracy Is Something We Have to Fight For’: A Conversation with Suzette Brooks Masters

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Suzette Brooks Masters, a senior fellow at the Democracy Funders Network and Director of its Better Futures Project.

“Ideological extremism has captured our political conversation and undermined the institutions that are the bulwark of our system.” – Suzette Brooks Masters

‘A Truly Pluralistic Society Has Both Inclusion and Dissent’: A Conversation with Ben Klutsey

In the latest installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Ben Klutsey, executive director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about his experience facilitating conversations with people on opposite sides of the political spectrum as a means of finding common ground.

“We are overestimating how extreme the other side is. And that helps to fuel the perception that the other side is a threat and that their views are dangerous to your existence. ” –  Ben Klutsey

“The Problem Comes from the Top”: A Conversation with Yphtach Lelkes

In the fifth part of The Polarization Project series, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews an associate professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the co-director of the Polarization Research Lab.

“The state of America is that we have strong partisanship but … partisanship is not necessarily synonymous with violence.” – Yphtach Lelkes

“It’s Time to Be Very Afraid”: A Conversation with Peter Coleman

In the fourth installment of The Polarization Project, HFG Distinguished Fellow of Practice Greg Berman interviews Columbia University professor Peter Coleman, author of The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.

“There are peaceful societies around the world that have moved away from violence. In the vast majority of cases, there was some sort of destabilizing time that caused people to question their basic assumptions. And that can lead to significant change.” – Peter Coleman

“We’re in the Danger Zone”: A Conversation with Caroline Mehl

Caroline Mehl is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute. She has expertise in translating psychological research into innovative real-world applications. In her conversation with with Greg Berman, Distinguished Fellow of Practice she discusses the stark ideological divisions on college campuses and beyond.

“In the United States, even though our democratic institutions are starting to wobble, they’re still far stronger than other countries. So I’m not so concerned about civil war anytime soon.” – Caroline Mehl

“Pluralism Is a Learned Value”: A Conversation with Dan Vallone

Dan Vallone has dedicated his career to the science, practice, and art of building connection, finding purpose, and overcoming polarization. He is the former director of More in Common US, an international nonprofit organization that has devoted a significant amount of intellectual energy to exploring public perceptions about our political divisions. In his conversation with Distinguished Fellow of Practice, Greg Berman he discussed More in Common’s Hidden Tribes project and the idea that perhaps Americans are not as divided as they might seem.

“There has been a spike in hate crimes and online activity that is coinciding with this worsening affective polarization. The rise in dehumanization is very alarming.” – Dan Vallone

“Illiberal Ideas Are Having a Negative Effect on Our Political Culture”: A Conversation with Thomas Main

Thomas Main, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College in New York, has been tracking illiberalism in American politics for years. He spoke with Greg Berman, the Distinguished Fellow of Practice at The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, about the roots of polarization in America. While he acknowledges the existence of some movements on the left of the political spectrum that meet the definition of “illiberalism,” most of Main’s energies are devoted to studying extremist right-wing political thinking. What he finds is sobering.

“The roots of racism run deep in this country. This means that the potential audience for illiberal racialist movements is much deeper than the potential audience for anarchism and communism.’” – Thomas Main