To Regain Civility in American Politics, We Need to Rethink Media, Education, and How We Participate

Whether it is climate change, immigration, or income inequality, America seems incapable of making progress on solving complex problems. In fact, it seems that the country is locked in a downward cycle of incivility and polarization.  In an interview I did last year with Big Think, I discussed three specific areas where institutional changes can occur that could increase active public participation on what seem to be eternally gridlocked issues.

Theses areas include investing in innovative, not-for-profit models for news gathering and idea dissemination; re-examining high school and college education through the lens of digital media literacy and citizenship skills; and creating new participatory institutions at the local-level that provide the opportunity for the public to discuss, connect, plan, and provide meaningful input into policy decision-making.