EPISODE NOTES

Political polarization in the U.S. can feel like a lost cause. Trying to have productive conversations with people you disagree with over politics can seem pointless. News media and social media often reduce “the other side” to its most extreme forms. This creates a negative feedback loop, weakening our ability to function as a democracy.

But research strongly suggests that Americans — on both the Left and the Right —  often misperceive how hostile, uniform, or different their opponents really are. 

In our seven part Beyond Polarization series, we're talking to experts from across the political spectrum — in journalism, education, government, and more —, about what it’s costing Americans, and what we can actually do about it. The point isn’t to agree (not gonna happen), or even to move toward the center. As our guest for this first episode Julia Minson puts it, we need to learn to “disagree better.”

Julia Minson is a social psychologist and  professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She’s the author of How to Disagree Better  published in March 2026, and the founder of the behavioral science consulting firm Disagreeing Better, offering speaking and training on effective management of conflict. In this episode she shares some of her research findings about what we get wrong about each other, and what interventions have worked to correct misperceptions. Plus, she shares a proven formula you can use to have a meaningful conversation in conflict situations.