Episode 6. Brian Harrison
Over a range of issues American public opinion is, on average, remarkably stable over time. It is for this reason that the stark shift in American public opinion on the issue of marriage equality between the mid 1990s and present day was so remarkable. In 1996, only 27% of Americans supported legalizing same sex marriage. In 2018, the number was 67%.
What accounts for this sharp reversal in public opinion? This is a question—among many —that this episode’s prolific guest has taken up in his research. Dr. Brian Harrison is a political scientist specializing in American politics and public opinion. Much of Brian’s research focuses on understanding attitude and opinion change, including three of his books: Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights (with Melissa Michelson), Transforming Prejudice: Identity, Fear, and Transgender Rights (with Melissa Michelson), and A Change is Gonna Come: How to Have Productive Political Conversations in a Divided America. Brian sat down with Mara to talk about how his experiences growing up in Iowa, his time in the second Bush administration as a political appointee in the Department of Homeland Security, and his career as a political scientist have shaped his understanding of American democracy. He tells us what it was like growing up with the “retail politics” and presidential candidate pizazz of Iowa , and recalls a fateful encounter with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley that left a lasting impression.
Brian and Mara discover they had a shared penchant for dressing up as Republican presidents for Halloween growing up, and they dig deep into the nature of political disagreement in American politics. Brian encourages listeners to be willing to have uncomfortable dialogue about politics. He cautions that—while we should not expect everyone to “come together” in a kumbaya moment of unity—deliberative democracy requires that, at times, we find ways to have meaningful conversations with those who disagree with us. Inspired by the authenticity of elected officials like Harvey Milk, Brian still sees each and every vote—no matter the election, big or small—as an opportunity for change.
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Brian is an author with Oxford University Press and a Lecturer at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. You can read more about his work here, and follow him on Twitter @brianfharrison, or on his Facebook page: Voters For Equality . Previously, he has served on the faculty at Northwestern University; as a Visiting Fellow at Yale University; an Affiliated Scholar at New York University; and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Wesleyan University.
