With democracy under real strain, veteran journalist Chuck Todd and former Ohio Governor John Kasich bring an unvarnished conversation about where we are, how we got here, and what we can do about it. This isn’t just about restoring civil dialogue—it’s about taking civic action. Through an exploration of the breakdown of trust in media and government, the loss of shared facts, and the weakening of the local institutions that once held communities together, the duo offer tangible strategies for reclaiming them from the ground up.

Designed for audiences hungry for solutions, not slogans, this program emphasizes the power of local action: informed citizens, vibrant local journalism, faith, service, and community engagement. Whether for a university, town hall, civic group, religious institution, or leadership forum, this event delivers urgency, insight, and hope for those ready to take democracy personally.

More About Chuck Todd

Chuck Todd is one of the most recognizable faces in political reporting today. During his time at NBC News, he solidified his reputation as a tireless political reporter who moves past talking points and gets to the heart of the matter. Audiences appreciate his sharp analysis of American public affairs, his encyclopedic knowledge of politics, and his even-handed assessment about the day’s most important topics.

Todd is a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and former NBC News’ chief political analyst. Previously, he served as NBC News’ political director and the moderator of the longest-running show on television, the network’s flagship Sunday public affairs program Meet the Press, for nearly a decade. Under his tenure, the program was the #1 rated Sunday public affairs show for six straight years and #1 in total viewers in the nation’s capital every single week for eight years straight. Also during this time, Todd served as a primary anchor for the network’s primetime political and election programming and spearheaded NBC News’ political coverage across all the network’s platforms and news programs.

He currently hosts The Chuck ToddCast, a leading source of no-nonsense discussions with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers across the country about what's shaping American politics and why it matters.

More About John Kasich

When audiences look for a candid assessment of the current state of the world, Gov. John Kasich stands out as an unparalleled voice of reason amongst all the noise. In the years following his service to the people of Ohio, Kasich has successfully performed a unique balancing act—broadening his mission to affect change on a societal scale, while keenly narrowing his focus on how that change comes about on the individual and local community level, pushing audiences to look within and harness their own ability to make a difference.

A paragon of compassionate leadership, Kasich believes that we need to reach beyond the issues that divide us to achieve solutions through unity and resilience. With a focus on civility and purpose, Kasich offers insight into a view of humanity that inspires self-reflection, invites action and motivates all of us to strive to be better citizens.

His latest book, Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future, is a hope-inducing series of stories that positions religion as the antidote to cynicism and despair in America. It is a reminder that through faith-based communities, we can turn our good intentions into even better outcomes, repairing and uniting broken communities.

Through it all, Governor Kasich reminds audiences that, at the end of the day, change comes from the bottom up.