“Braver Angels events always leave me hopeful and energized,” says Yuval Levin of the recent Convention in Philadelphia.

“A lot of people from different parts of our politics, from different parts of our country, from different parts of our economy come together and express a a kind of conviction that ultimately our country matters more than our parties, and our country matters more than ideological convictions.”

In this wide-ranging conversation with one of America’s most admired public intellectuals, we discuss the resilience of the American constitutional system, the impact of attention politics, and the need for constructive disagreement and courageous citizenship at a time of toxic divides.

“The American political tradition speaks in the first person plural in a really beautiful way and speaks in the voice of a people taking a kind of common ownership of their future together,” he says.

Immigration law reform and enforcement is a very heated and emotional issue. In recent years, no public policy has been discussed with more outrage, demonization, and disgust. Both sides of the immigration debate demand total victory. But their all-or-nothing approach has resulted in nothing. No major immigration reform legislation has been signed into law in three decades.

Perhaps it’s time for less emotion and more respect for different points of view. The Braver Angels Citizens Commission on Immigration is working to show Congress and the nation that Americans with differing views on immigration can find common ground. The Commission includes includes citizens from all sides of the issue.

Our expert guests in this episode come from opposing sides of the debate. They work closely together and are now friends. Jim Robb and Diego Sanchez are on the leadership team of the Commission, and served as co-chairs at the recent Braver Angels National Convention in Philadelphia.

Something remarkable happened in Philadelphia, days before America celebrated its 250th birthday and streets away from where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Nearly 900 Braver Angels delegates at their Convention signed a pledge to be courageous citizens.

Being a courageous citizen stands in proud contrast to easy citizenship. In America’s current culture of contempt, it’s courageous to build, not destroy.

In this episode we hear from delegates, convention organizers and conference speakers, including two Members of Congress: Democrat Tom Suozzi and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick. Both Congressmen warmly praised Braver Angels for the work it does.