America’s Next 50 Years: A 1A Call-In Special (REBROADCAST)

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0:24You had a lot to say about the country's 250th birthday. We heard from plenty of you in the run-up to that milestone. And now we're taking your calls again, this time asking you to look ahead beyond 250 to the 300th anniversary. We've already heard from some of you about what changes you want to see in the next 50 years. We need to get the money out of politics, get big money out of politics. I think that will solve a lot of our issues and will really reduce the threat of authoritarianism and corruption. Economically speaking, I think focusing on how can we run our economy without using fossil fuels, a huge question.

1:03I think a full out effort there would be incredible. and culturally taking a closer look at how we run our educational system and how it could be kinder, more compassionate, more inclusive. Now, I am an optimist. I think that the U.S. by that point will be a much more multicultural, multiracial society. I think that there will be a lot more equality regarding wealth and property. I'm thinking in order to reach that, What we have to do is take the billionaires down a notch. The Elon Musks of the world, the tech bros, the Peter Thiels of the world, they are miles worse than any Gilded Age robber baron.

1:48I think we're at the point now where they are a net drain on our society. So they have to be taxed a lot more. Ben, Ian, thanks for those messages. What could the next 50 years hold for our country when it comes to our democracy, our increasingly uncertain economy, rapidly changing technology, and our social fabric as a nation of more than 342 million people. More importantly, what do you want it to look like? I'm Nyla Boodoo in for Jen White, and you're listening to the 1A Podcast. We took a lot of your calls live in studio, and we'll hear them today right after this.

2:27This message comes from Betterment. You know when you sell a stock or any investing asset and start to feel the dread of getting a surprise tax bill betterment's tax impact preview tool shows you the estimated tax impact of the sale so you can make informed tax smart investing decisions get started today at betterment.com investing involves risk performance not guaranteed betterment is not a tax advisor nor should any information herein be considered tax advice please consult a qualified tax professional this message comes from better help. Imagine carrying a backpack every day. Inside it, every conversation, every mistake, every expectation.

3:06It is easy not to notice how heavy it is until someone asks if you want to put it down. Sometimes feeling better starts exactly like that. Better isn't one size fits all. Better is personal. It's therapy tailored to the individual to help lighten what you carry. Match with a therapist who truly understands. Visit BetterHelp.com slash NPR. Let's meet our panel to get us started. Joining us from Fairfax County, Virginia is Theodore R. Johnson. He's a senior fellow at New America that's a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. He's also a columnist at The Washington Post and author of When the Stars Begin to Fall, Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America.

3:49Ted, welcome to 1A. Thanks for having me. It's good to be here. Also joining us from the studios of WABE in Atlanta is Georgia State Representative Jasmine Clark. She's a microbiologist, a professor, and a Democrat representing the 108th District in the Georgia State House. She's also co-chair of the Georgia Chapter of the Future Caucus. That's a bipartisan organization for millennial and Gen Z lawmakers. Representative Clark, thank you for joining us on 1A. Yes, thank you so much for having me. Also joining us from WABE is Georgia State Representative Stephen Sains. He leads Serve South, a community development organization in Camden County, Georgia, and is a Republican representing the 180th district in the Georgia State House.

4:33And he's also a co-chair of the Georgia Chapter of the Future Caucus. Representative Sains, welcome to you as well. Thanks for having us. Ted, can you start us off? What's the value in thinking through what our country's goals should be at a moment like this 250th anniversary and how to achieve those future goals? Yeah, it's a big question. But I'll tell you, there's no time like milestone anniversaries than to explore this exact question. What does the future look like? In 2076, we'll turn 300. in the 50 years between now and then, what kind of country are we trying to build? What do we need to fix, reform?

5:14What do we need to get rid of or begin doing so that once we hit our tricentennial, we've got the kind of country that we're proud of, one that is better than the one we inherited. How to do that? There's a range of things that need to happen. But look, the biggest thing is, I think it's twofold. One is we have to reform our institutions at the federal level. Congress needs to be bigger. It's too small for the size of the country we have. The electoral college is outdated and needs to be reformed. We need to do something about partisan gerrymandering in particular. And the legislatures will have to do it because the Supreme Court has decided it's none of their business for some reason.

5:52Locally, though, I think this is where the most promise is. Whatever the future of the country looks like, the best version of it will bubble up from the local towns, local municipalities and states and trickle up rather than some magnificent transformative figure nationally, you know, cascading down the goodness that our country needs. So grassroots revival of democracy is required to improve our country and then fundamental reforms of our government institutions to ensure that they are representative of the people who want to make our democracy work and our country stronger. Representative Clark, when you look back on July 4th, I can't believe it was just a few weeks ago.

6:29What did you take away from this year's 250th anniversary and what it said about where we are now? Well, I want to start by saying you are absolutely right. Every time you hit a milestone, there's this moment where you say to yourself, am I where I want to be and where do I want to go from here? What does the next decade look like for me or the next chapter in my life look like for me? And that's what we do on a personal level. And I think we can also do that from the standpoint of our country. And so when I think about July 4th and I think about where we have come from, I think about things like the fact that my grandmother was born in 1921.

7:09And, you know, she was in her 40s when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. And I here am in my 40s as well, you know, headed to Congress. And I just think about that contrast, about how someone in my family can see such different outcomes when it comes to the ability to participate in our democracy. But then I also think about how just a few weeks before the 4th of July, we were sitting in a special legislative session here in Georgia with the looming threat of doing partisan gerrymandering. And I think about what that means, that in that moment, we were actually talking about turning back the hands of time instead of looking forward.

7:57So I think that we are in a moment right now where we really need to ask ourselves, where are we? What do we want for ourselves and how do we get there? And I think that goal should always be toward moving in the forward direction. And I will be very clear, I don't think that this is a partisan idea. While, yes, I do think that, you know, there are definitely some policies that can be partisan in one direction or the other. I think the overall goal of moving forward, acknowledging where we are, acknowledging what we can do better as a country, acknowledging where we do not want to go back to, I think that's something that we should all be able to get behind, you know, regardless of partisan politics.

8:44Representative Sains, what were your takeaways from the celebrations? Yeah, I think what's mentioned in terms of the diversity of our nation being something we need to reflect upon and the beauty that we're only getting more diverse and more wide as a country. I'm not sure if I can if I can sell to constituents back home the idea of expanding Congress. I don't know if they've proven themselves, but I I'm encouraged by a younger crop of folks, including Dr. Clark in in North Georgia, folks like Houston Gaines and Jim Kingston. And Georgia's bringing a much more younger crowd into Congress this session, this upcoming session than normal.

9:21And I think that reflection is hopefully a positive change when we look at items like our growing deficit that had a slight benefit in terms of its growth because of things like the revenue increase through the Trump administration. But over and large, we still have a looming issue that our next generation is going to have to face that's going to decide what the future looks like for them and what both the federal and state government can take a role in. Let's go to Dennis in Dover, Delaware. Dennis, welcome to 1A. Yes, hello. I feel that I've got – in order to look ahead, I have to look back.

10:02So I remember what William Faulkner said. William Faulkner said, the past is never dead. It's not even past. So what I feel has to happen is I'm looking back to 1861. I'm looking back to those 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union and entered into the Civil War. Now, those 11 states, it seems to me in 2026, not much has really changed. There's still a lot of racism that exists within those 11 southern states. Maybe things have changed a little bit in Virginia. Yeah. So, Dennis, what would you like to see happen with those states in particular? Basically, well, I want to see attitudes change.

10:47I want to see attitudes change, you know, within those, certainly within those 11 southern states as a starting point. And maybe we can move forward as a country. And those 11 southern states, social justice is not evident within those 11 southern states. So maybe those 11 southern states can start this country moving forward on the right track. Dennis, I'm going to stop you there. Thank you so much. We've got to go to a break. Right after this break, Representative Clark, I would love for you to respond to Dennis, Representative Sains as well, both of you being from Georgia, one of those southern states.

11:24Back with that and more right after this. Stay with us.

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12:43I can't imagine maple syrup being any more expensive. Like, it costs as much as a car. That's true. What kind of car are you buying? Don't miss our full conversation and the rest of our games. Listen to the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Back now to our discussion on your hopes for the next 50 years in the U.S. Representative Sains, can I have you respond to our caller, Dennis, just before the break, talking about the need to change racist attitudes in America before we move forward? He was particularly focused on the South. Yeah, well, thank you for asking.

13:19And, you know, I can only speak from my perspective. And as a minority legislator, I was born in Costa Rica to a Costa Rican mother and Cuban-American father. Represent a relatively Caucasian district on Georgia's coast, I've never seen that be an issue to allow me to represent the folks here. Because at the end of the day, we all have shared struggles. There's no such thing as a Hispanic empty plate or a black empty plate. we are all looking at kitchen table issues and affordability issues in the same respect. And the solutions are largely similar, even if our backgrounds are diverse and distinct.

13:55In terms of how Georgia's approach, you know, a lot of what I think is maybe a hurdle or what has called that perception issue in Southern states, you know, everything from what we did back in 2021, in terms of our access to ballots and our reform on redistricting, you know, there's calls that it was Jim Crow 2.0. The reality is it, after that bill got in place and, you know, helped secure our elections with voter ID requirements for absentee ballots, ensuring that that method had credibility to it, it only expanded minority turnout and overall turnout to the polls. So part of the reality that we need to self-reflect on is making sure we're not blowing a whistle when it's not actually present because that has long-term impacts on perception and credibility to our institutions.

14:49Representative Clark? Yes, so respectfully, I love my co-chair, but I would have to disagree that we are just in this post-racial era where racism doesn't exist anymore. But also, as the caller mentioned, I do believe that the racism of the past still shows its face today, it's not going to look exactly the same. But there are clear connections between what we see now to what has happened in the past with things like redlining. Also, when you talk about environmental justice and you look at where people who are most likely to be exposed to certain contaminants are more likely to live in our state.

15:35There are definitely clear connections. So Representative Clark, yeah, what do you think, what would you like to see in terms of both the statehouse or as we're thinking about maybe policies in particular that need to be implemented to change this, what would your priority be over the next 50 years? Yeah, I would definitely say that we need to, one, acknowledge that there has been disparities and then let our policies reflect that there have been disparities, that some of these disparities are putting certain people in our states and in our communities in a very different place than others in our communities, and then make the policies go in the direction that we need to go to have a more equitable society.

16:19So that comes to things like where we invest money. That also comes to things to how we teach about history. There has been a concerted effort to remove a lot of our nation's past, the ugly parts, from curriculum. And I don't think that's the direction that we need to go. I also think that when we're talking about the economy, we need to acknowledge, again, that there are certain people that have access to upward mobility, that they've had generational wealth. And there are others that are playing catch up because of previous racist policies that are still showing their ugly head today. So what does that look like?

16:55Things like what we're talking about with the affordable housing bill that was just passed and signed into, or it's not signed, but went into law that was sponsored by our senators. You know, making sure that people have that dream of homeownership. Addressing things like the student loan crisis. Yes, that does impact some people. more than it impacts others. So focusing on economic issues as well. Thank you so much. Let's go to Debbie in West Virginia. Debbie, what do you think we need? Yes, thank you for taking my call. I believe it is imperative that we have more young people involved in the political system.

17:37They are the ones going to move our country forward. They're the ones who are going to inherit, unfortunately, the mess that we're in right this minute. I am a member of the Baby Boom generation. Unfortunately, I won't be here for that 300th anniversary. But I really do believe in the youth of our country. They have wonderful ideas. They have great passion for this country. I've talked to many of these young people, high schoolers, and it would be my joy to be here to see this happen. Yeah, but the idea of thank you so much for that, Debbie, that we need more young people in government leadership.

18:21Appreciate that sentiment. Let's go to Nicole in Vermont. Hi, Nicole. Hi, thank you. Hi. So I really want to see a focus on less funding for AI and mass produced things and more focus on real arts and culture. And I think that could have quite a bit of a shift in how we perceive diversity and unity and less like America first type thing and more, you know, international collaborativeness. And yeah. And Nicole, you're a young voter. I wonder what you think about young leaders as we were just hearing Debbie talk about. Yeah, I it's exciting. I feel like it's a lot of talk sometimes, unfortunately, and I don't know if we're as respected in decision-making positions, and I would love to see a shift in new ideas.

19:22Thank you for that. Representative Sains, Representative Clark, can I ask you both quickly just about age in the Georgia Statehouse and Nicole's question about respect? Do you feel like you are getting that as younger voices? I'm not sure what the average age in the Georgia Statehouse is, Representative Sains. I don't know the average age, but I can tell you I was 23 when I got elected, and I wasn't the youngest legislator. I think my office mate at the time, Houston Gaines, was, which is going with Dr. Clark over to Congress now. But what I can say is when I was 23, door knocking in Waycross, it ended up being a 55-year-old who I saw as young because those are the voters participating by mass in our elections.

20:06And the most that we can do to get respect for young voters and the needs of younger families is to ensure that they're coming out to the polls and turning out to those adequate numbers, because that drives the decision making and where attention is being placed, both in the Golden Dome in Atlanta, but I'm sure in D.C. as well. Ted, can I just ask you about tech priorities? As we were hearing Nicole talk about the next 50 years and artificial intelligence, What do you think we need to be thinking about from the entire country perspective when it comes to the role of technological advancement and, to Nicole's point, human-made things?

20:44Yeah, so the first thing, it actually ties into the age of our legislators. I mean, the millennials are really the first digital native generation that we've ever had. So if there's anyone best suited to figure out how to integrate technological advances into our democratic republic, it's going to be a millennial and Gen Z folks. I'm a Gen Xer, so some sharp Gen Xers may contribute there as well. But look, here's what the social science says, that in our move, the nation's move to increase the bench of engineers and computer scientists to be competitive on a global stage and a global economy, what was sacrificed were the arts, physical education, and civic education.

21:23And what that has shown is that STEM majors tend to have less of a connection to the democratic process and the sort of the institutions of government than those with liberal arts education, not because they care less, but because their education is focused more on technology and less on the social aspects of governance. So one of the things we must do is reintegrate the arts and civic education back into K through 12 and beyond so that civics is a lifelong pursuit. And in the course of doing that, we will learn how to integrate technology into our nation in a way that's efficient and equitable.

22:05but also we'll learn how to argue better, how to disagree better, so that when those disagreements arise, we've got a system filled with people that know how to disagree and compromise and not just argue over, you know, what some of these technological fixes or adjustments should be. We got this email from Janice in Tampa. I want the ERA passed to enshrine women's rights and ensure bodily autonomy. Let's go to the phone, CJ in Maryland. Can you share what you're thinking? I think you had a similar thought about the ERA. Exactly. I'm glad to hear that Janice was thinking of that. I fervently hope that the Equal Rights Amendment, known as the ERA, will be officially added to the Constitution as the 28th Amendment.

22:48The bill was passed in 1972. Virginia ratified it in the year 2000 as the 38th state. But for various and complex reasons, it has been held up by the National Archivist. So the ERA would give women full equality status under the Constitution, which is normal in most modern countries. Thanks for that. Yeah, thank you for that comment, CJ. We have a few people hoping that the next 50 years we'll see some new states. David in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, mentions Puerto Rico. Bill Black wants to see statehood for Washington, D.C. E. Bill says, D.C.'s second-class status is part of the reason that congressional Republicans regularly interfere in local issues.

23:34I really, really hope D.C. achieves statehood in the next 50 years. Ted, what's the likelihood of there being more states in the union over the next 50 years? I'd like to say positive. That mmm was a no. Yes, but I am not convinced. Look, most times the United States has added states, it does it in pairs or more. That's because when you do it by onesie-twosie or really by one, one party is unhappy that the other party will gain an advantage by the addition of a state, which usually means two senators will go to one party or another, especially based on how hyper-partisan we are now. If it happens, I do think it will be in pairs, and I do think the pair will necessarily have to be one that leans red and one that leans blue.

24:20What that pair is, I do not know, but I agree with the caller that, or the emailer, that D.C. should be a state, even if we have to carve out a federal district to still hold the land that the White House and the Congress and stuff is on. But if you say D.C. and Puerto Rico, that becomes politically tough because those two territories lean Democratic. And so it's hard to get political consensus on something that's going to give one party four more seats in the Senate and the other party zero. So I do think it will happen, but it will need to be strategic. And the states chosen will also be a political calculation more than what's right or fair for the residents of that territory.

25:02Let's go to Jim in Illinois. Hi, Jim. Welcome to 1A. What do you want to see change about America? Well, just look how the rest of the free world does its politics. What we need is at least a half a dozen additional strong political parties nationwide and run all elections. Our body politic has just evolved into a big tug of war. We have a body politic which serves very well the heavily moneyed special interests, but not the public interest. Thanks for that, Jim. Jim, representatives Clark and Sains, can I just ask you, we saw a New York Times-Santa poll last December ask registered voters what the most important problem facing the U.S.

25:51was. Nine percent said Republicans. Six percent said Democrats. Thirteen percent said the biggest problem was polarization. Before we get into that, can I just ask both of you about Jim's comments about the fact that we need more than two parties? Representative Clark, can I start with you on that? if you think America would be better served by having more than our very dominant two-party system that we have currently? You know, I think about this a lot because I do think that the two-party system really does pull us in really only two directions. And it doesn't take into account that most Americans do not fall squarely within one party or the other when it comes to the things that they care about.

26:33So I think that if there were a way to actually move towards something that allowed us to give more policy ideas a seat at the table, then it would absolutely put us in a better place. I haven't seen it. I haven't seen a road to that in my lifetime, but I would love to see, again, more participation from groups that actually really align more with what I think the American people actually want, which is really something. You know, there's some people that really want that stuff on the left, really want that stuff on the right. But a lot of America just wants things to want things to get done. Representative Sainz, do you agree?

27:15Absolutely. And, you know, I think it's important to note here that we have no better democracy to look at other than our own. And there's no perfect sense of it. I would approach anything that structurally changed the way we govern cautiously. But at the same time, there's no arguing that our two-party system completely drives us both, you know, to a very conservative angle on my end and maybe a more liberal angle on a Democrat legislator's end. And so anything we can do to ensure that we're looking to be practical versus partisan in our approach to solving future issues is something that I'm interested in.