495: Todd Rose—One Good Thing
Summary
Mike Rowe interviews Todd Rose, founder of the think tank Populous, about his research on "collective illusions"—false beliefs about societal division fueled by social media and foreign bots. Rose explains how private opinion data reveals that Americans are less polarized than public polls suggest, citing examples like the "defund the police" movement. The episode highlights the "Be the People" initiative, which encourages local civic action to counteract manufactured consensus and rebuild community trust.
Topics discussed
Introduction and guest Todd Rose
ZipRecruiter sponsorship
End of Average and the jaggedness principle
Good Ranchers sponsorship
Collective illusions and social media
K-12 sponsorship
Private opinion vs public consensus
NetSuite sponsorship
Cognitive warfare and AI bots
PureTalk sponsorship
Defund the police and private truth
Good Ranchers sponsorship
Be The People initiative and conclusion
Capital One and Ally Bank sponsorships
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