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The Battle for the American Idea

Political commentator E.J. Dionne Jr. says that at the center of America's political dysfunction are two competing ideas – our love of individualism and our deep affection for community. It's a push and pull that Dionne traces back to the earliest days of our country, and he's written a new book that traces the history of that tension. Thursday, he joins Doug to make the case that America is at its best when these core values are in balance.

Guest:

E.J. Dionne Jr. is a columnist for The Washington Post, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and University Professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture at Georgetown University. He appears weekly on NPR and regularly on MSNBC and NBC's Meet the Press. His book is called Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.