Guest: Maury Giles — CEO of Braver Angels, the country's largest volunteer-led effort to help Americans work across political difference. A conservative based in Salt Lake City, Maury came to the role after a long corporate career in research and strategy and five years as a Braver Angels volunteer, where he moderated conversations between Republicans and Democrats and helped run its bipartisan work with elected officials. He was nominated for the CEO job by a colleague from the other side of the aisle.
🎙️ Hosted by Dr. John Izzo and Alain Gauthier · produced by Jim Burke
🤝 In collaboration with @BraverAngels
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open — "I have it in my own family"
00:30 What we cover today
01:25 Welcome & setting the stage
03:23 Welcome, Maury Giles
03:39 Exhaustion, resignation, and the self-fulfilling narrative of division
04:58 The "exhausted majority" — why "don't talk politics" fails self-government
06:00 Polarization at home: Maury's own family
07:35 Religion and politics — and why they don't yell at each other on Canadian TV
09:25 The marketer's holy grail and its cost to our social fabric
10:45 "You have 100% control over your own agency"
13:05 We are the product: social media, outrage, and "social road rage"
14:11 The dumber we get: tribes, divergent thinking, and the elephant
17:18 What Braver Angels is — courageous citizenship defined
19:31 "I've never asked anyone to be nice"
20:49 Devil's advocate: "I'm fighting for my side" — why citizenship means interdependence
24:03 Robbie George and Cornel West: "the fallibility of my opinions"
25:04 Maury's journey — nominated by someone across the aisle
27:29 "What difference am I making for good?" A calling
29:45 Fifteen million Americans
31:44 A quick word from us — subscribe & support the show
32:48 What years of bridge-building revealed: curiosity over contempt
34:43 Jonathan Haidt: same values, weighted differently
37:00 How a Braver Angels one-on-one conversation works
38:30 Talking isn't enough: the shift to collaborative action
40:23 Citizen-led solutions — "on tap, not on top"
43:09 Contempt and rigidity; values vs. solutions — healthcare and John McCain
45:51 By design: Madison, checked ambition, and why Congress ceded its role
48:37 Gerrymandering — politicians choosing their voters
49:32 Where it's working: a stop sign, sidewalk chalk, citizen assemblies, Irvine
53:13 Start where you are — your family, the PTA, the HOA
55:10 National issues: immigration, trustworthy elections, briefing Congress
56:32 What gives Maury hope
58:29 Closing: a "new American revolution" and the essence of self-government
1:01:24 Outro
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💬 Have you had a real conversation lately with someone who votes differently than you? What happened? Tell us below.
🔗 Mentions & Resources:
🤝 Braver Angels — sign up for a one-on-one conversation or find your local alliance: https://braverangels.org
▶️ Braver Angels on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BraverAngels
📖 Jonathan Haidt, "The Righteous Mind"
📖 James Madison, The Federalist Papers
🏛️ National Civic League (database of 12,000+ civic-renewal organizations): https://www.nationalcivicleague.org
🎧 Our earlier episode in this series with Beth Noveck on rigidity, contempt, and democratic decline: [LINK]
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⚠️ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Way Forward. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice.