♪ announcer: american history tv, exploring the people and events that tell the american story. george washington university lecturer belle julian clement talks about american policy -- american poverty policy and how the johnson administration's program was designed to help americans who were the poorest. on the presidency, a look at how president's were portrayed on film. this included movies such as "kisses for my president" in 1970, "the man" in 1972 and more. watch american history tv every weekend and find a full schedule on your program guide or watch online anytime at sees then.org/history -- at

c-span.org/history. announcer: a healthy democracy does not just look like this. it looks like this. where americans can see democracy at work, where citizens are truly informed, a republic thrives. unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. from the nation's capital to wherever you are. because the opinion that matters the most is yours. this is what democracy looks like. c-span, powered by cable. ♪ announcer: washington journey continues -- washington journal continues. host: this is maddie salamone, a part of the college athlete board. she is here to talk about a hearing she testified at this past week before the house subcommittee on name, image, and

likeness issues among others coming up in congress. maddie salamone, welcome to washington journal. tell us about your college athlete experience and how that writing to your position now in your advocacy with the college football players association. guest: as an athlete, i endured a lot of injuries. it gave me the opportunity when i got to campus to be able to observe a lot of the things going on. those that were going well and those that needed improvement. i got involved with advocacy for athletes. i then became chair with the student athlete committee at the division i level. i saw it was difficult to pass legislation that made sense. often athlete's voices were not

heard. as much as there were good people involved, the road change only happens when there was outside pressure from the yet that was calling out -- from the media that was calling out what was going on. rather than portraying the image of college sports that would like to believe. there were a lot of things that really negatively impact athletes. and continuing to talk with parents and athletes still dealing with issues i dealt with and other athlete that i knew dealt with. i continue to be involved as an advocate, especially someone who saw behind the scenes of the ncaa and could speak to how things were done. host: you testified before the house small business committee this week in particular about the image of name, image, -- the issue of name, image, and likeness. tell us what that means and why it is important now. guest: the nil is generally the

right of publicity and the right to control the commercial use of your name, image, and likeness. as a collegiate athlete, it encompasses much more because the world went beyond what we genuinely -- we generally think about publicity. athletes could not use their nil or athletics reputation for profit in any way which meant they could not write a book about their experiences, they could not monetize a youtube channel. they could not advertise coaching or advertise a business using their name, image, and likeness, because if they benefited from their platform as an athlete, they would be rendered ineligible. as a result and with the revenue within college sports and with media rights over the years, that seemed more and more unfair that athletes were so restricted when they already spend so much

time dedicated to their athletics. and they are unable to hold full-time jobs or part-time jobs like others. it is also important to realize both athlete -- realize most athletes are not on full scholarships so the restrictive nation of the rules really impacted them. it was far beyond what we think of as endorsement deals, which is generally what we speak about when it comes to name, image, and likeness. it was for athletes to become entrepreneurs and have their own businesses, and set them up in a way athletes were not previously allowed to delete because they were restricted by ncaa rules. host: we are talking with maddie salamone and will be talking about the nil issue among others in college athletics. the part of this agreement

called for individuals, student athletes, can use a professional -- professional services for nil activities. does that mean they can hire an agent to pursue those types of deals? guest: yes. previously, the rules would have restricted that. the sticking points right now is something that schools have everyone involved and congress is interested in regulating. right now, there is no regulation of agents. some are doing ok jobs but there are a lot of people who have gotten in and are taking advantage of college athlete but athletes are able to hire help in the above agents, lawyers and contracts. they are able to take advantage of resources they were not previously able to take advantage of.

there is a tremendous gap in the help they are receiving. some schools are doing a better job of educating their athletes about this. that is an area where athletes need more guidance. many of them are siding very bad -- are signing very bad contracts that are renting rates in exclusivity and perpetuity. host: to be clear, most of what we hear about art through the high-profile sports like college football, and college basketball. but this is an opening for college athletes on all levels and in all divisions, correct? guest: correct. we hear about those at that level because everyone wants to talk about the big endorsement deals. most of these deals are relatively small. we are talking about $500 maybe for an appearance, and athletes

being collected to mingle with fans and of at events. the majority of the deals are not massive endorsement deals. a loss our social media deals, influencers. in general, but the nil opens up is an opportunity for athletes to take advantage of the resources they have and use the platform they have while they are in college to set themselves up however they want. that could be in business or just connections they previously would not be able to make. it has opened up a round that allowed all athletes use their platforms to promote the sport they play in a way that their schools may be did not before. that is especially true of female athletes. it has also gotten athletes's wheels turning about how they can set themselves up for their future.

host: your calls and comments are welcome. (202) 748-8000 is the east coast and central time zone. mountain and pacific, (202) 748-8001. if you are a student athlete or former student athlete, we encourage you to use the line (202) 748-8002. we would like to hear your experience. maddie, you were a lacrosse player in college. a division i program at duke university. what was it like? how much of your college experience was being an athlete? guest: sports has a unique way of controlling your entire life. the best way i can describe it is even when you are not playing and participating in worse words, or -- in your sports, or weight training, or having an

injury, you are constantly thinking about the sport. and getting prepared for that. whether that is eating and sleeping. everything is to be at peak performance. i was injured a lot and i came in with an acl tear. then i tore my other acl and had a meniscus injury. it takes up a lot of time. there are so many protections needed. i think, a lot of of time in college, i was exhausted and overwhelmed from the demands sports really places on you when you are trying to perform in the classroom. it is a lot to balance and juggle. when you add an injury, it heightens every man makes it even more difficult. that is why i am passionate about helping athlete who are struggling, especially those who

have an injury, and are dealing with a battle everyone did not understand. i did not understand until i suffered a major injury how isolating that can be. and when you are trying to excel in every area of your life. athletes have trouble putting pressure on themselves. that is why it took coaches that athletes really need you to pick them up. they can beat themselves up enough. i am grateful for the opportunities i had. i worked with a lot of wonderful people. life on my team was not the easiest, but it changed me and taught me a lot. i've used those experiences to try to help other athlete. host: i want to hear what you think congress these to be regulating in this space, but i want to play some brief comments from senator roger williams, of

the small business committee, from the hearing. [video clip] >> a lot of good has come with this but it does not come without negative repercussions. since there are no full regulations, individual states are passing their own rules. this patchwork approach of putting all the students in different states in the awkward position of choosing to comply with state law or the ncaa. i am glad we have people here to navigate and be able to shine some light on what will happen if we continue the overreaching set of rules and regulations that everyone has to follow. host: maddie salamone. the chairman is talking about the patchwork of laws. why do you think congress needs to come in? guest: i am not one who thinks

congress these to step in as much as others. i am of the opinion that the law covers what nil is. we have right of publicity laws. this is not unique. professional athletes, actors, models all side endorsement deals and lawyers handle the contract every day. it is not as complicated as people are making it out to be that there are some issues that need to be addressed. agent regulation is one of them. education of athletes around this is something that athletes need to be educated in or to look out for. but to look out for an agent or individual coming up to them and asking them for things, encouraging them to take certain actions, etc.. i don't think the congress'to delve extremely deeply into the issue. if they are to come out with

anything, i think it should be a bare-bones a lot of makes it very clear that the ncaa cannot prevent athletes from profiting off their name, image, and likeness. i think much of this should be handled at the conference level. when you start to get congress involved, it can be complicated and make things more difficult to navigate. we are very new in the and il space. it will take a few years for everyone to get comfortable with the way things are and that is not discussed enough. while this is not a new area of the law, it is the in college athletics and people are figuring it out. by think this can be figured out better than henry regulation from congress. host: do you think about some players who say that it will be paid by schools?

guest: it looks like it may go in that direction. schools may compensate them for the use of their nil, which is currently prohibited by state laws which came out about name, image and likeness. when a lot of these laws were passed, there was heavy lobbying. some roles deliberately pushed out the responsibilities of an il and ability of school to compensate athletes because they did not want to run into title ix issues if male athletes were being compensated more than female athletes. this certainly comes up in any discussion around media rate sharing. host: maddie salamone, the vice president of the college football players association. (202) 748-8000 is the line for the eastern and central time zones. (202) 748-8001 mountain and pacific. (202) 748-8002 for those of you

that are college athletes or former college athletes. we welcome your comments. jan in virginia. caller: first, several years ago steve sperry, a successful coach, said that you should pay the athletes. he set them down, signed into his scholarship, pay their money, and take care of parents on their game day and pay for their travel. what do you do with athletes who go to a service academy? they cannot take money. what if this prevents athletes from graduating? and all the money going into this -- they should have some areas where non-athletes get some money. this could generate good scholarships for people who are not actually. you have to protect people. keep congress out of it.

that is the last thing you want. it could generate a lot of revenue but the athletes have to be paid. you have to make sure that if they get any money, they have to graduate first. guest: maddie salamone, your thoughts? guest: i wonder if there is a specific question. i think you identified a loss of the debates about whether athletes should be paid -- a lot of the debates about whether athletes should be paid or not. and why there are many that do not want congress to step in and heavily regulated this, myself included. i think there should be very little regulation and it comes to some things related to nil. host: michael from cleveland. you are on. caller: good morning. there is a lot of money exchanging hands.

alumni and boosters are giving money to collectives. then the collectives are paying the athletes. is there an independent contractor, a 1099, nec given to athletes that they are contractors and pay at come tax? guest: yes, they have to pay income tax on the money and get the appropriate tax forms for whatever it is they are being compensated for. that is where athletes need more education on. but that is a part of nil and was part of the argument that schools and the ncaa were trying to use rules to prevent the nil

from being allowed. host: the caller mentioned collectives. describe what they are. guest: they were described to me as mostly a fan club. they take donations from boosters. some are 5013 cs and there is a debate about whether that is acceptable or not. it probably is not. they take the money which is usually earmarked for a specific sport. most of the time they talk to athletes about being compensated. some athletes are under contract and sometimes these collectives will sign athletes on for individual events and play them appropriately -- and pay them appropriately. it is mostly connecting athletes with bands and have -- with fans

and have them at events. some want to do endorsements without -- with athletes but that is more on the lower end. it is mostly schools being able to send boosters to a third party that is then this riveting fuss athletes. host: is there a clear enough distinction between what boosters are doing and what collectives are doing? guest: not enough in my opinion. that is why there is discussion over whether title ix should apply. it is an issue. another issue is these collectives are also involved in the increasing -- the recruiting process at this point, enticing athletes to go to certain schools which is prohibited by ncaa.

that is a rule on books and they can enforce it, but the ncaa has chosen not to. i think i am of the opinion that they need help when really they could have stopped collectives from the any. the reason i say this is, early on, when the earth's about, those people were looking at that and saying, this is clearly in an effort -- when the collectives came about, there were people looking at that and saying, this is clearly in an effort to get athletes to come to certain rules. but when that didn't stop, you saw collectives popping up everywhere. that was because there was a gap between what schools to do dust between what schools could do and what -- a gap between what

schools could do and what the ncaa allowed. host: there has been some concerns about coaching staff and their recruiting efforts. guest: they are used in conjunction. it is an assistance. schools since the beginning have used whatever they have to be able to recruit athletes. now you have nil, but before that, schools were doing the same things. telling athletes who they had connection with and about alumni. that is how schools try to athletes and students anyway. there is nothing necessarily inherently wrong with that. the issue is what they are doing is against ncaa rules. host: margaret from fayetteville, arkansas. good morning. caller: good morning. host: hello there. caller: i question is, does your

organization seek compensation for the football alzheimer's cte connection? chronic traumatic encephalopathy? guest: i think your question is do we consider that to be an issue in football in particular? yes. are we specifically collecting funds for that at the time echo know, but it falls into the category of health issues that the athletes are concerned about. and all athletes but certainly in football where concussions are so prevalent. we discuss health issues which are very important to football players. that certainly is part of it. host: ken from spokane, washington. caller: i was just going to ask

an interesting question. it has to do with mainly women's collegiate athletics. that is when a transgender male participates in athletics. i feel he is already destroying athletics for women and taking them for advantage. how would they compensate female athletics in those foursquare a male is coming in and taking away their future -- those sports where a male is coming in and taking away their future? guest: i think the issue is keeping competition fair. i don't know that you need to be concerned about compensating, so much that they are maintaining women's sports rules and regulations. when it comes to that issue, but i will say is when i was an

athlete, we had to be very careful about even what types of vitamin water we dragged because i could test positive for performance-enhancing drugs. the same is true. there have been women disqualified from competition for having abnormally high natural levels of testosterone. when you look at the fact that biological women have been disqualified from competitions as a result of natural testosterone levels or what we consider performance-enhancing drugs, it does appear unfair that someone with a natural advantage of having don through ale puberty with then be able to compete in the women's category -- of having gone through male puberty would then be able to compete in the women's category. i don't enqueue compensate women

for that. i think you make the competition fair. that is not something the ncaa needs to take a stance on because we do not have the issue of women taking spots of men on teens -- on teams. host: maddie salamone is the vice president of the college football association. we are talking about nil issues and other issues with college athletics. (202) 748-8000 for those in the eastern and central time zones. (202) 748-8001, mountain and pacific. those who are college athletes or former athletes, (202) 748-8002. the name, image, andess changes. it includes that students athletes can engage in nil

activities that are consistent with the law of these eight -- of the states that t sool is located in. they can participate without violating ncaa rules. they can hire professional services to help witni activities. student athletes should report nil to their school. angel reese and olivia don are rolling in in il deals. they say that since the policy change. the article says some $2 billion have been made by student athletes. where is that money going? guest: are you asking where the athletes are spending the money? host: is the money going directly to student athletes? guest: i don't know what number you just quoted but i would

assume it is going directly to student athlete. there is probably a cut for anyone involved if they are an agent or a lawyer. i would assume that if the number is accurate, that is what is in the deals. one of the issues is we don't really know solid numbers. there is just not enough data at this point to be able to say that. whatever money is going to athletes in deals is going to athletes and who is ever -- and whoever is involved. guest: is that number tracked by the ncaa? host: it is not. james from north carolina. caller: good morning to the host and guest. as an attorney of a division i

football player, i will not hold it against you that you want to do. guest: i went to unc too so i think that is two strikes. caller: oh my goodness. that is ok, i liked what you are doing. this is long overdue. being that we are talking about a contact and compensation issue, at the end of the day, some typos -- type of tiered system and he reached out about the nil system. you could probably break this off into a second category. i agree. i think congress is trying to make this overly cumbersome. i don't think it has to be as

difficult as folks are making it out to. -- to be. we are still talking about profit sharing. with female sports and all of this, they will come into this as well so you cannot really get into the whole dynamic about who is not being compensated fairly. if you do it, i think that will be the easiest way to do it. host: thank you for your experience and insight. guest: i agree. i think that nil and anything else needs to be kept separate. when it comes to profit sharing or splitting a media right still, these are relative -- when it comes to videogames specifically, when there likeness is being used in the

game, it is easy to say the money should go to them. host: you mentioned a time or two of the transfer portal which makes athletes easy to transfer to another school. does that complicate things at all? is there concerned that athletes are transferring to schools based on offers they are getting via nil? guest: the transfer portal overall is positive because it allows athletes to get out of the situation or go to a place where they are a better fit or more value. i think there are concerns with athletes being encouraged by asians and others to enter the portal to try to get a veterans deal and negotiate. that is a free market to play but not always a positive thing for athletes. but the transfer portal

proceeded -- portal preceded nil but just happen to have been around the same time. it just has the ability to expose when there are bad programs, especially if you talk about the traditionally nonrevenue for. focus a lot on football -- we focus a lot on football and basketball, but it is believed to help a lot of athletes in bad situations to get help. i have talked to parents who are trying to help their child and that is a tool to help them get to a better place, where previously a school might have prevented them for leaving or they would have to deal with losing eligibility for a year. i think it can be regulated better to make sure we are not engaging in what is an issue,

but overall, i think the transfer portal is a good thing. even in the nil space, who is to say an athlete should not be able to take advantage of another opportunity in another location, the same way any person or coaches looking for a better job opportunity in another location. host: denny from missouri. caller: hello bill. it is great to be with you as always. and ms. maddie salamone, i am crazy for lacrosse. i really respect what you do. but i was wondering also about nil and the pros and cons. what is the departures from congress moving -- reporters from conferences and moving like the big 12? i just wanted your thoughts.

and i cannot get enough of the cross. and for you. guest: i think you made a comment about conference realignment? host: yes. guest: i have tremendous concerns about conference realignment. i don't think athletes are considered when these decisions are made. as someone who played and went to certain schools for a reason because conferences are so strong, it is appalling that conferences are becoming coast-to-coast. when you have schools on the east coast and go to california, that travel schedule is brutal. i was concerned when notre dame was added because getting there is complicated. this means traveling in the middle of the light -- the middle of the night, flight

delays, and all these issues you deal with when traveling on top of being a student and missing class. even when you get to the student you are going to play, it is adjusting to a new time zone. it is extremely difficult. your fans are not all located in one close, regional area. a lot of times when athletes to schools, it is to be around family. that makes it difficult for them to follow games because they can only see home game. it is a mess with conference realignment and athletes are not kept at the forefront of those decisions. it is absolutely about money and most specifically about football revenue. host: is the realignment more helpful for people looking to make nil deals or less? guest: i am mixed.

i think the conferences themselves -- i don't know how they impact nil in particular, or maybe for football athletes. but if they are getting a share of it. i don't necessarily know if they are. but it does not necessarily impact nil athletes unless they get tired of the conference realignment and want to pay attention anymore. caller: i am not for the change for the bait -- the pack 12 to move for the big ten because that is too far to travel. but athletes lose their amateurism to get paid. everything should go to the ncaa . host: is that an issue in terms of things like the olympics? if an athlete signs an nil deal,

does that affect international amateur competition? guest: there are a lot of questions there. i think in terms of kid an aptly participated in the olympics and sign an nil deal, yes. there is an issue with international students and their visas but they have found creative ways around some things that would not allow them to make money from an il -- from nil deals. they could do them in a foreign country or their home countries if it is something like social media endorsements and that sort of thing. and you asked another question? host: i think that covers it. we have a couple callers who are former athlete.

ben from owings mills, maryland. caller: really quick, a couple things. first, these are conferences that go away of the settings as it is unbelievable when you see a school like maryland who is now in the big ten traveling all the way to the midwest. it is ridiculous. maryland again some other schools. it is not a good fit. she mentioned the travel and the travel is really an issue people don't about four kids when they are trying to maintain study and also having to these travels. i think the big ten has now pulled in sums old from the other side of the country. but what the and il -- but with the nil, i think things have gotten out of hand. this particular summer, there

was a player looking to transfer and schools had to pony up at least $1 million for the athlete to even entertain transferring to a school. i think this is getting ugly. in an academic sway, a lot are not even going to class. they sit in their dorm rooms and don't even interact academically. host: several things. we are running out of time. guest: you are preaching to the choir on maryland. i grew up not too far from owings mills. i was heartbroken when they left the ecc. when it comes to athletes attending classes, i am a big proponent of the schools need to decide what they stand for. if they stand for education, they need to hold all the athletes the same educational standard. if they don't, that is their

choice and representative of their brand. i am not making the argument that athletes should not attend classes, i think nil is providing a lot of things that is applicable to the real world. i think the time demands and what you learn in college athletics is also an educational experience and maybe not enough credit is given to that. i certainly felt like as a college athlete i should be given credits at my university but i was not so i had to take additional ones. there are certain areas that have to be improved. but i think nil's overall positive for athletes. a lot comes down to understand what we stand for. it is for a coast to decide if they want to take on a student were interested in -- for a coast to decide if they want to

take on a student who is more interested in classes than playing for their school. caller: my concern is i think this will create 1000 different gray areas. i agree with your theory. however, i feel like the ncaa has trouble enforcing the simple rules it has at the moment. to me, i am more old. if you are a kid coming out of high school, you get is ownership. i believe you have to be there for four years and get your degree. i just want to know your opinion of, will this create 1000 gray areas yet to guest: -- create 1000 gray areas? guest: maybe you are asking the wrong person. i feel like there are a lots of areas in the role world. i feel like nil's overall

positive. when we talk about the negatives, but we are talking about is not necessarily allowing athletes to take advantage of their platforms. i think we are talking about how fans respond and what boosters want to do and how schools try to recruit. those are the bigger issues. a lot comes down to schools making decisions to decide what they stand for. but many times they decide they want to compete and recruiting is more important, then they are principled. our issues and things that can get around it. i think we can regulate agents and do a better job educating athletes, and provide more resources to help make things better. i think it will normalize over time. host: we have been talking to an attorney and president of the national football association.

thank you for educating us on the topic. guest: thank you for having me. host: still to come, up next, we will be joined by american university's amy dacey in discussing the findings of their recent survey on young american perspectives on politics, community engagement, and public service. first, more about your top stories of the week. here are the lines. (202) 748-8000 for democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. for independence and others, (202) 748-8002. i want to show a debate with the chronic senator chris coons and republican senator marco rubio. partly on the issue of climate change. [video clip] >> something that is a challenge

all of us face, i started a bipartisan solutions caucus which has 14 of us including senator rubio. seven and seven. this week we have a meeting with critical industry mineral leaders to talk about the path forward in clean energy transition. again, as was the case in confronting the challenge of china. i think i have a legend -- a legacy on working with senator collins and hydrogen initiatives with senator cornyn. the nuclear workforce. i support nuclear energy as a part of our energy security path forward. and now with kevin cramer, senator from margaret the coda -- from north dakota. we need to harmonize with the eu and begin to move the chinese economy through common action. one is the biggest things accomplished in the last congress is where we may

disagree. the inflation reduction act put $369 billion of incentives into the american economy. there are now groundbreaking's on battery and car plans in texas and georgia and ohio. it is a sharp contrast between how the u.s. is responding to climate change and how the eu is. i spent time in manufacturing business before i came to the senate and i think nothing strengthens our society more than restoring being a country that builds things. we need energy security from manufacturing to be successful as we also need to confront that the world is transitioning to a cleaner energy economy. it is my hope is that as a member of the bipartisan climate solutions caucus, senator rubio will be one of my legislative

partners that i will be citing next year. >> i would say, i am all for dealing with mitigating these facts there are levels. here is the sea level today and here is it today. here is the impact it has. i have nothing against solar power or electric cars or rely on wind power. my problem is other places now control it. and we have increased reliance on that and with the batteries for these cars. when we talk about energy costs, affordable energy is at the core of every. global prosperity, our own prosperity, the ability of the economy to grow. with manufacturing, you need abundant and affordable and reliable energy forces. i am not accusing the center of

saying this because i think he comes from a approach of trying to find ways to unify people. what i think there are some people selling mythology that somehow renewables can replace hydrocarbon and other sources of energy. it cannot for the foreseeable future. everyone on the planet consumes 50% of the energy we americans consume. we are consuming it right now in our daily lives and have gotten used to it. other parts of the world have the same thing. if you get rid of 50% of that, you have to increase global energy production by 50%. how? you cannot. so the foreseeable world will use hydrocarbon, oil and natural gas. and the question is, who will supply that? >> washington journal continues. host: we are looking for your

top stories of the week. you can call us on (202) 748-8000, democrats. republicans, (202) 748-8001 street independents, -- and independence, (202) 748-8002. we can also take your comments on social media, at x at cspa nwj. this week, federal reserve jerome powell announced a pause. he says the chances have decreased some pulling off an economic soft landing but they have to proceed carefully. [video clip] chair powell: i always thought i soft landing was a feasible outcome. i at -- it is also possible that

if the path has narrowed, and it is of and apparently, this may be decided by factors -- and it has widened apparently, this may be decided by factors outside our control. i do think it is possible. this is why we are in position to move carefully again. we will restore price stability. we know we have to do that. the public depends on us doing that and we have to to achieve the kind of labor market all want to achieve which includes a sustained period of strong labor market conditions. the fact we have come this far less us really perceive carefully -- lets us really proceed carefully. that is the end we are trying to achieve. i would not want to handicap the likelihood but that is not up to me. host: that was fed chair jerome

powell. we are looking forward to your top news stories of the week. house republicans and the government deadline coming up at the end a of this coming. the federal indictment of senator bob menendez from new jers. the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy was in d.c. this week. attorney merrick garland testified before a house committee. what is on your mind? danny from arizona. caller: good morning. i don't think it has -- i don't think i have spoken to you before. it is a pleasure. this has nothing to do with you it has to do with the mainstream media and c-span. for that matter, a lot of your democratic callers are so misinformed at what is going on at the border. we have a colossal problem.

like 10,000 illegal immigrants came over in one pass alone in one day. in yuma, we are getting 2000 a day. we are a small community and cannot handle all these people. now that the north is getting a legals pushed to them, they are starting to -- is getting illegals post to them, they are starting to cry wolf. not only all the people coming through but we are getting so many drugs flowing through here. you know something? the democrats are blaming republicans now. from the first day joe biden got in office, he tore up all of donald trump's documents about building a wall and remain in mexico and another, but i cannot remember.

if the democrats want this, they want open borders for some reason, and i don't know. i wish you guys would just have an entire show on what is going on down here and asked the question so your democratic callers will be more informed. host: ok. jk, independent, 70 chase, maryland. caller: the big story on the week for me -- and i am just hearing about it and i was hoping to hear more from you all. a reporter who was covering january 6, a journalist, was sentenced to two months in jail, but he was covering january 6. his name is owen but i don't know much else. have you heard about that? host: we will see if we can find

an article for you. thank you for calling. bubba from the republican line. caller: my big story of the week is -- which hardly no one knows about. two young black boys stole a car and ran over a retired policeman and killed him and videoing this. we know that had it been the other way around, whites grabbing a car and running over a black guy, it would be on every news channel available. i bet most people have not even heard about that. did you even report it on c-span? host: i am not sure but i do not think that would be in our coverage. jim in north little rock, arkansas. caller: the previous caller

touched on what i was talking about too. what was really appalling was the daughter of the slain officer came out and made excuses for the be easier of these two thugs. that is really appalling in itself. i completely do not understand what it is about why white people cannot just say the bugs are the doug's and this is -- the thugs are the thugs and this is what they do. host: minnesota, independent line. caller: i want to talk about john fetterman and what he is doing and how their matter got his attire. i'm glad he is dressed. and the united auto worker strike. i think that is really good. i think they should be doing

that. we should have more strikes. solidarity to the workers. and last but not least, acab to your last caller. host: jack in new jersey, independent line. caller: hello, i hope everyone is doing well today. i need to congratulate kamala harris, i understand she will be in charge of trying to get rid of all the guns and everything. how good of a job she did on the border, i guess everyone is going to have a gun and be killing everybody. thank you, kamala. host: senate majority leader chuck schumer was on the senate floor wednesday, announcing a vote to promote three key military chiefs and denouncing senator tommy tuberville 's hold on future promotions. [video clip] >> these men should be confirmed

and serving in their new positions. we should not have to go through procedural hoops to please one brazen and misguided senator, but this is where we are. in the end, the senate will overwhelmingly vote to overcome senator tuberville's blockade, and then the senate will overwhelmingly vote to confirm them. these honorable men will be able to support their positions, and this abortion policy senator tuberville opposes will remain in place. senator tuberville will have accomplished nothing, but the harm he is doing to the military and their families remains unfortunately and continues for hundreds of others. host: we are looking for your top stories of the week. democrats can call in, (202) 748-8000. republicans, (202) 748-8001.

independents and all others, (202) 748-8002, and texts on (202) 748-8003. good morning. caller: good morning. for the men mentioning the man killed on his bike, i don't see them calling in about the police officer [inaudible] and put a stun gun her stomach while the sergeant stood there and did nothing, and the woman lost her child. these racist people that be calling in all this stuff, cut them right off. all they do is look at fox, and there's more of what is going on in this country today. thank you.

host: our caller in canton, ohio, on the democratic line. caller: yes. i just want to say, people are people. i only make $9,000 a month -- i mean a year. a year. that's $3000 below the poverty level. republicans that i watch on this tv do not want to give me nothing. but people are people. host: what kind of work do you do? caller: i get ssi, disability. host: ok. all right, thank you. angela in north fayette, on the independent line. caller: yes, i would like to talk on the government shutdown. i am government employee of over 27 years and this would be the second furlough that i have

experienced. we had a 15 year hiatus from 1993 to 2008, where i was not working for the government. each year, we have this dilemma where the folks up in congress cannot get a budget passed, and we need to look at term limits so that folks can experience what working people experience, and that is a precarious situation where you don't know whether or not you are going to have to depend on your savings, if you have any, to weather the storm of furlough. some people have to go to work without getting paid, and that is not something that we should be allowing in this day and time. host: angela, how are you affected by some of the previous furloughs? caller: i had to take out loans.

i still am actually trying to recover from that, in addition to some different issues that come along with life, you know? kids being in college, medical bills and things like that. it's not short-term, it is long-term. host: thank you. let's go to a clip that we have here from representative emma -- abigail so -- abigail s. she said the biggest concern from her staff members is that they are goi to get calls like the jus heard, you d't know how we will pay our bills, survive, lose our business. that quote was in the hill newspaper. let's go to tara in louisiana, on the democrat line. caller: hi. hi, my comment is similar to the

previous caller's. i am also a federal employee, and i think it is sad, unpatriotic of republicans to be willing to shut down the government to protect donald trump. these people keep talking about election interference, they are doing everything they can to help donald trump, who could care less about the american people and america itself. i think it is ridiculous and they are pathetic, and kevin mccarthy is the absolute worst speaker of the house the united states has ever had, and that's really saying something, because we have had newt gingrich and others, who were not good as well. thank you. host: on the republican line, charles, buffalo new -- buffalo, new york. caller: hello. i am amazed that these florida congressman would chide speaker mccarthy by saying if he

attempts any kind of bipartisan working together to create a budget to pass a budget, that he would ensure that he moved out of the house. clearly, this guy is not american. it is extremely, extremely narrowminded and reactionary. he is a reactionary. post antebellum politics -- that time has passed. we are in staunch competition with the rest of the third world nations, as well as russia and china. we have decided to attempt to create another policy that will diminish -- look, if he thinks that social security, if gaetz gets his way, what will happen if these other countries take their dollars and become the dominant dollar in the world?

we would be in real trouble. it's time for the american people to come together. republicans and democrats, for america and america's children. host: some of the other republican response to the government shutdown came from michael macleo ican from texas, who said for the vast majority of people, the government such down, they go back to work and it is a normal day for most people. the democratic line, san diego, california. dave. caller: that guy from buffalo, i am from buffalo originally, and they are a rare breed back there. congratulations. the guy from yuma, the previous caller also, was also spot on. i send video clips regularly to my sister in buffalo, but the news media does not cover any of the stuff going on down here by the border. i have land out and it is

trashed constantly. america needs to forget about the politics. what about the schools? they are fortifying the schools with fences. fences work, that is part of the problem, along with -- yeah, i agree. let's stop playing games and get that taken care of, ok? it is transforming our country, this is what we are seeing, and if you like it, we have no reason to complain. thank you. host: elizabeth in boulder, colorado, democratic line. caller: hi. my top story is actually exploding watermelons and all of the other impacts on our food system that are being caused by the clinic -- climate crisis. and how no one is talking about

how the climate is impacting inflation in ways of food inflation, and it's also impacting the border. we don't cover why people are coming to the border, and a lot of it is, they cannot grow food where they live. so they come to america, where they have a better chance of getting food. the changing climate is really impacting all of our politics and all of our lives, and it's not really -- we are still debating whether it's real as opposed to looking at why are things happening, and delving a little deeper. host: what do you mean by exploding watermelons, elizabeth? caller: there is a story on my local news last night, watermelons are starting to

explode because of very high temperatures, bacteria gets in there, the watermelons ferment and then they explode. that's one little sign of how climate, the extreme heat is impacting our food supply. host: greg in coral springs, florida, on the independent line. caller: yes, yes. good morning, thank you for taking my call. i have listened to one of your previous caller's name to danny, and he talked about this -- misinformed democrats. i am an independent, i have voted democrat and republican at different times, and i believe people are misinformed. the border is an issue that needs to be taken care of and someone needs to do it. it has not been done by our congress, made up of both

republicans and democrats, so i think that needs to be done. i also think a group of the republicans need to finally identify that what donald trump has done should not be allowed. they have to be more informed about that, and find that the things that he did really should not allow them to be president again. i also agree, i don't believe joe biden is the right person either, but until we get the republicans that believe that donald trump is the right choice for the republican party, i do not believe you can vote for that person. thank you. host: gregory in talbot, tennessee, on the republican line. caller: yes, thank you for my call. first of all, we have rampant inflation and things look like they are going to get worse. the fed is at least talking about increasing the rate again.

also, along with the border, we have people coming over continuously with no end in sight. all of this will add to our inflationary problems, all these people will have to have some sort of schooling, some sort of moneys coming in, which is probably going to be given by the government, which would add to the inflationary things that are happening. as they get worse, the democrats wanted to do something about it, they should vote for a republican who actually wants to take our budget and frame it -- trim it so we can live in a non-inflationary world. these people who are on ssi who perhaps -- perhaps, i say, could

have actually worked during their lifetime, all they want is more government giveaways. host: where are you feeling inflation the most right now? caller: well, just about anywhere. you look at the car prices going up, the grocery prices going up. along with all of the government spending, i am sure you are going to look at your taxes going up too, because as inflation grows, you are going to see government spending grow, just because of the inflation itself. now you look at the united auto workers going on strike, that is going to have a deep cost on our recession also. host: patty in maryland, democratic line. what is your top story? caller: hi. first of all, i have voted both

parties for different reasons, but i did see, and i have been following this story of what happened in las vegas -- i also know there is police brutality and it is probably more pronounced against african-americans, people of color. but i don't think the media covers when somebody white gets killed. as far as inflation, yes, gas prices are definitely -- i have watched gas prices for so long and i really do think the oil companies will say it is the market, it is the market, but they can have more input in gas prices. i have watched them go down when they seem like they should be going up, and policy plays a part in it.

[inaudible] what else? host: let's go to ann in maryland, on the independent line. caller: hello? thank you for taking my call. i am of an age in which i could have marched with the feminists, but i did not. now i am becoming a feminist. when you talk about the joint chiefs of staff and filling the openings, there were actually four openings. one of which was the head of the navy, one of which was a woman, and for some reason, they only voted on the three men. while i am at it and saying feminist things, you all, whenever you talk about the star-spangled banner, you talk about francis scott key? there would not have been a flag for him to see if five women had not made that enormous flag.

thank you very much for taking my call. host: fabian in new york, new york on the republican line. caller: ok, how are you doing? i am sorry to hear there are so many trump aide are's out there. i think donald trump was the best thing to happen to this country since the internet. joe biden is corrupt. he is right there in people's faces and it is being ignored. the ukraine, it wouldn't be there if it wasn't for his son working for burisma, the most corrupt country in the world. he is there. my big story is all of the revolutions taking place in africa right now. mainly on the west coast. i would like to say, people should be paying more attention to what is going on out there. i don't hear it reported in the media. but god bless america. host: thanks, everyone, for

sharing your top stories of the week. cong up next on "washington journal," we have american universities amy dacey, discussing the findings of their recent survey, focusing on young americans' perspectives on politic,s and public service. -- the house and senate will return next week and work on federal spending bills to avoid the shutdown on september 30. the house government and -- also, a house commerce and subcommittee holds hearings on the recent fires in maui. watch next week, live on the c-span networks. or on c-span now, our free mobile video app.

also, head over to c-span.org for scheduling information or to stream video, live or on-demand, any time. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> derek schmidt is the associate professor of rhetoric at yorktown in pennsylvania. he is also the cofounder and coeditor of free black thought. in a news article, professor smith wrote "we hear endlessly about systematic racism, white supremacy, the black-white income gap and police brutality." so powerful and ideology has this narrative become, he says, that those of us propose a counter narrative, black anti-woke writers, for example, frequently find our work being misconstrued in an attempt to quench their impact. >> footnotes plus is available

on the free c-span now mobile app, or wherever you get your podcasts. books that shaped america, a new series that explores key works that have had an impact on our society. you can have an impact by submitting your pic for a book that you think helped shape this country. go to our website, c-span.org/booksthatshapedam erica, and in 30 seconds or less, tell us your pick and why. >> beloved, by toni morrison. >> cat in the hat, because it revolutionized children's books forever. >> soldier, written by colin powell. >> books that have provoked thought, policy change, and are still talked about today. be sure to watch "books that shaped america," every night at

9:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> a healthy democracy does not just look like this, it looks like this. where americans can see democracy at work, constituents are truly informed, and our republic thrives. get information straight from the source on c-span -- unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. from the nation's capital to wherever you are. this is what democracy looks like. c-span, powered by cable. >> washington journal continues. host: welcome back. we are joined by amy dacey, with the american universities sign institute of policy and politics, where she is the executive director. welcome. guest: thank you for having me. host: tell us what the institute

of policy and politics is and what you do? guest: we are celebrating our five-year anniversary this month. it is a concept that president sylvia brewer will had to create , an institute that was university wide that focuses on a nonpartisan way on some of the biggest issues of the day. we try to bring in every sector, different perspectives, and help students across the board. also, our community tackles these issues through fellowship programs and research, like once the project will be talking about today. the goal is to try to convene, communicate, and collaborate around these issues. host: the institute recently released a new survey, looking at how those in the younger generation feel about the american dream. how was the survey done and who was included? guest: this is our second annual survey of 18 to 34-year-olds.

we focused on american democracy, and social media, and the effects that factored in on their view of institutions. we also have their impressions of life here in america, and a lot of research said they did not believe in the american dream. our senior policy advisor and i said, maybe we ask them what their american dream is? we went into the field with this concept and talked to this age group about some of the key issues of the day. we made sure that we had a cross-section, weather was urban, suburban, rural, by gender, by race, and by ideology to get that cross section. we asked them a lot of questions around, do they believe in the american dream, what is their american dream and is it achievable? walking through that conversation with them. host: we want to hear from those young americans, as well as others. a different set up for our phone

lines today. if you are 34 and under, call in at (202) 748-8000. if you are 35 to 64, call in at (202) 748-8001. and if you are 65 and older, you can call at (202) 748-8002. we would love to hear from those 34 and under, because this report is about you. what does the american dream look like to those in younger generations? guest: we partnered with the millennial action project, a conglomeration of young, gen z and millennial leaders, public servants across the country, and the close up foundation, which focuses on civic education. one of the biggest takeaways we certainly had, there is no one american dream. we even have a student advisory group from nine students across,

graduates and undergraduates, who helped us worked on the project. this first thing our students said, why does there have to be one dream? what is your individual pursuit of happiness and what do you want to be your american dream? that was one of the main premises. one thing we all found very compelling, both continuity and change. the core elements include, they want to feel happy and fulfilled. have the freedom to make important life decisions. that is one of the key things across the board they want, and have meaningful personal relationships. of course, being financially successful -- more traditional elements like owning a home, getting married, having a family are important to them, but are not their top-tier priorities or what they shared with us. host: let's have a look at some

of those results about the reimagined american dream from your study. it is interesting to see the things that, as you said, were a bit more traditional, like owning a home and getting married being lower on that scale. what can you tell us about that? why do you think that is so different for this group? guest: i think there is definitely a sense of community, also, when you look at the barriers that they see to pursuing their american dream or being successful, overwhelmingly the experience of stress, pressure, and mental health struggles -- this generation was impacted strongly by gun violence in their schools, the covid pandemic and how it affected them. in a lot of ways, their pursuit is to find happiness, to find some of these things, because they see the barriers and stressors and what not to doing that. i think it is also interesting, they feel like they are more likely to attain that kind of

achievement then maybe their parents were able to. they feel optimistic about that and that is one of the things we saw and are impressed with as well. for them, the barriers that they see, they can still find also through community engagement, being involved and being fulfilled, those are the things they highly pursue. of course, it doesn't mean they don't care about issues related to workforce, the environment, protecting and maintaining democracy, education, lgbtq rights, criminal justice, they all matter into this. but for them, those are the priorities. this sense of collectively, into village -- individually they think they can achieve this. and as they move farther out, they are not as convinced. it goes down about 10 percentage points if members of their

community are outside of their own individual pursuits are able to achieve this. host: let's look at more results before we get to some calls. 62% of respondents said they expected their life to be better than their parents. why do they think that? guest: i think for these barriers, they also feel like as individuals, they are in charge of their own destiny and have the ability to pursue these things that aren't the barriers that existed for the generation before them, or did not allow for the integer -- individual freedom for them to pursue that. they are less optimistic that the current political system is going to be better off for them as they move forward as it was for their parents. that is where you see some of the concern, the barrier of their current political leaders and the current political structure. we saw that in a survey a year ago, the distrust and the institutions that exist.

for them, they feel like they can do this individually and have to go out and pursue this. some of the bigger challenges that may be the current political structure, holding them back from some things. host: if you look at the chart, it is the only place people feel that having a functional government that represents them at all, it's flat or pretty negative for many people. guest: there is definitely a concern. we saw this over the course of two years, the local leaders, they feel strongly about it. they see the supreme court as the driving force sometimes in policy decision-making, but they feel like they know what they want in their leadership. they want intelligent, knowledgeable, serving others, listening -- they want that profile for their leaders. they are just seeking it and not

assured that the current power structure affords them that. i think that's why we also wanted to partner with the millennial action project in close-up -- and close-up, because we wanted the next step build towards having this information so leaders are making strong public policy that reflects what their passions are, and we are getting more people involved in public service. but we won't see that path to help them achieve that, what they do as their american dream. host: christopher in clementon, new jersey, calling in on our line for people under 34. go ahead. caller: my name is christopher young, also known as the rapper c young. i saw the cover of the book. the woman on the screen when i turned oni was listening and thi noticed -- there was an opportunity to speak.

i have been listening the last five minutes. i apologize for any misrepresentation as a millennial. i am 34. leaders who have come forward at a young time, there was a point when they had to swallow the pill. that is what i feel after listening to you and why i am calling c-span. just to let you know that we are listening to each other. this generation is so connected. instead of one person saying, hey, i have gathered this data and i would like to take it to the next level based on what we have learned, right now, someone has to do that. that is why i am coming in. i am running for president in 2024. the only issue i have outside of funding is i am confused as to

which party to join. one of the biggest issues we are dealing with is how millennials are trying to choose which side or which way to go because of the ways it was in the past. my political ties go deep. host: let's let amy respond to some of the points you made because this idea of political engagement and connection came up a lot in your results. guest: thank you for your thoughts. especially what we are seeing in the research is this generation feels more connected and they do feel like they could come together to solve problems. in a lot of respects, they think if they could just get around the barriers, they could find consensus on these big issues. i think that it is really important that people take that leap to run. i think some of the things they did see that voting was a way to impact or something they

believed they should participate in. there were other ways to actively get involved whether it was staying informed on the issues or signing a petition. those were the top three. but the engagement was around this political process and making change from the outside. i do think they are more connected, they are more engaged, and they think they can problem solve together. the hope is they see participating in the system will get them the change they want. host: christopher was talking about the barriers, and you followed up on that, and looking at your results, the barriers that young people are seeing to the american dream is lack of money and financial resources, mental health challenges, and that lack of trust and feeling hopeless about government and social institutions. 42% there. i wonder when you were talking to young people about this, what were they telling you? guest: i think there was a

concern that their leaders are not seeing these as the top priorities and focusing on public policy that can help. the question is they do see these as barriers whether it is mental health, financial resources. those things they feel good public policy should be developed and that should be the focus of these leaders. they should share their values. they should develop things and language they understand. i think the disconnect is they see these as barriers they do not see their elected officials focused on and they would like to see that happen. host: anthony in chicago, illinois on the under 34 line. are you still with us? caller: i am. host: go for it. caller: can you hear me? host: yes, we can. go ahead. caller: good morning. the american dream, to me, is one of the most persistent

pieces of individualistic capitals propaganda that continues to persist to this day. it wants us to have more relations and more solidarity with millionaires because the american dream tells us, hey, one day you could be a millionaire too. it wants to drive us toward a more individualistic set of behavior toward the economy and community. actually, we are social beings. i think a lot of young people feel that through collective effort there is much more to organizing amongst themselves than getting into this individualistic place that is the american dream that has been purposely placed far from any of our class.

the large amount of productivity that young workers put out but never see their wages go up. real wages have been stagnant in this country since the 1980's, since the reagan era. the reality that we grew up in, the system is completely stacked to ensure that we never get by. we see our parents grow old, retired, and struggle. we are saddled with ourselves. i have $70,000 in student loans. we know this was a game that was not made for us but that american dream tells us, hey, it is ok. if you work just harder than you are working, you are going to be a millionaire one day. i reject that. i think all young people should reject that and say, together, we have the power to completely remove that system and that notion that us as individuals

can get ahead. no, as a collective, we have a much better chance. host: amy, before i get your response, i want to bring up more of your results and speak directly to that point about what attributes are key to people achieving the american dream. many still believe it is their own hard work and effort that is an important factor to achieve the american dream. but a lot of the answers were about systemic issues out of their control. the u.s. economy and job market, decisions and policies of elected officials, resources made available to me by my parents and family, and then social conditions i cannot control, like inequality, bias, and discrimination up at 68%. your thoughts. guest: my first thought was maybe anthony was one of our respondeds. i think a lot of what you were

saying about the sense of community -- they believe their own hard work and effort -- but there was a sense of coming together. certainly, lawmakers and elected officials, by large margin, 75% to 80%, should be focused on making the u.s. a safe place to live. those are not necessarily individual but for the collective. make higher education more affordable. improve access to quality education for all. there was a sense that these more community-based ideas and policies were ones they should focus on. there is trouble alone with the american dream, the concept. you could do a deeper dive. this is familiar to a lot of people so we felt strongly about asking the question. i think we wanted to see was at

the individual versus the collective? these generations are very much about coming together to solve problems and they think they could. i think some of the things they see as getting in the way, and maybe you do as well, is the current political systems and structures in place. but they do believe their own hard work should be involved, but they also think they should look out for other people in the community and they can try to find a way to build a stronger sense of community. host: i will give out the phone lines again. folks 34 and under, you can call in at (202)-748-8000. 35 to 64, (202)-748-8001. 65 and over, (202)-748-8002. on that 65 and over line let's go to thomas in winston-salem, north carolina. caller: good morning. i want to quibble about your definition of american dream. i think the american dream is a

historical, factual question. that is, what vision motivated those that sat down at the constitutional convention? what did they want america to be? we can see that in what they drafted in the constitution. clearly, what they wanted was immense personal liberty, freedom. the american dream is not a matter of your individual opinion. it is a matter of, historically, what was it they dreamt of when they sat down to write the constitution? i think we need a historical perspective as well as this individual perspective you are pursuing. let's go back to the constitutional vision. host: let's get amy's thoughts on that as well because there is this disparity between how some

generations view the american dream, and according to your research, how younger americans view it. guest: thank you for calling in, thomas. if we started off by saying for today's young people one of the most important things is to have the freedom to make important life choices, to them, it is not a separation from the constitutional, you know, historical things that were in pursuit of happiness, if you will. but this is -- in a couple of years we will be celebrating the 250th birthday of our nation. i think it is fair to ask each generation as we evolve, as technology evolves, as means of work evolve, as definitions of relationship and success evolve. what did they think is important in their lives? obviously, history always has a way to weave through it, but i think it is important to ask this generation -- and we should not have political and public

officials defining public policy that does not reflect what their top priorities are. i would agree to some of the main things involved in the constitution were top of mind. maybe in the real world, every day experiences they are having, they are talking about this. even to go back before, i think they value doing things that have an impact. they want to directly serve others and create long-lasting change. those are some of the principles that we saw early on. but i think it is something we thought strongly about. we have to ask this generation what are their top priorities and what do they care about? host: paul in denver, colorado is calling on the 35 to 64 line. paul, go ahead. caller: good morning.

i just wanted to respond to one of the callers a couple of callers ago talking about how we are more connected than ever. i disagree. i think a big problem today with the mindset of people in general is selfishness that has been set up by social media. i think it has kind of made us push toward that individualism a little more in the past decade or so. i think what we really need to do is get back to respect, general respect. i think that is what is missing in today's society. i think if we get back to respecting each other for our opposing views rather than vilifying each other for them, putting ourselves in these boxes, i think we need to get back to respect. that was my comment this morning and thank you for letting me call. host: amy, your thoughts? guest: i think paul has great

points. especially in our first survey and looking at the impact of social media for this generation -- and to go back to thomas' point -- there were founding principles 250 years ago, but the impact of social media is important. i think some argue they are the most connected, isolated group we have ever seen because of social media. but i go back again to paul's point. the things they are hungry for, the things they are looking for in political leaders are sharing your values, to understand my life, but to be authentic and genuine. to have genuine compassion and kindness. will also see in the data is across party lines. we saw continuity in this idea of happiness being fulfilled. this idea that there was not as much disparity on some of these things ideologically as we might

see in other generations. we certainly would love to do a comparison between generations, which this was just focused on the 18 to 34-year-old, but we saw more about this willingness to come together to solve problems, the sense of social compact and helping others than may be paul is expressing. but there is no doubt that social media -- it has had an impact on this generation. but they also are ones who believe misinformation exists. they think they are able to navigate that whereas others might not. i think you see the impact in various ways. host: you see the impact in some of the results here that we can show on the screen. young americans see themselves as creative and innovative but are stressed and have other contradictions. you asked them which adjectives

best describe people in your generation. we saw the connected and informed, like we just heard, but also lonely and isolated, discouraged and hopeless, resilient and confident, but fearful and angry. how do you explain those contradictions? guest: i mean, i think you can see -- you can be aspirational but also concerned and overwhelmed. i think when you are doing this research you will find some of those contrasts. we did see they were both embracing continuity and change in a lot of things. i think there are the aspirational views of what they want, and again, the concerns about how they can get toward them. and their sense of the individual experience versus the collective weighs into that as well. they might feel strongly they are connected but they might feel brokenness and inability to come together. we see that a lot on the

national level. i think that impacts their feelings, but that is why i think there is more to dig into. it asks a lot more questions than it has answers. host: in white house, texas, christina is calling on the 35 to 64 line. caller: hello. thank you for taking my call. i am in an interesting position. i have three children. one is in her early 20's, the other in her late 20's about to be 30, and i have a son who is 35. in my generation when i was raised, my parents, who were also from another generation, the only way they saw out of poverty was their education. they pushed us and pushed us and all of my family members are professionals.

i did these things for my children. i was a proponent for education. when they got at age they took different paths. they had gone to college but two of my children have pursued opportunities, especially with the advent of covid, to become self-employed and they are very successful. my son also did the same things and for a while i was discouraged. this was the only way i saw they could improve their lives, but they have proven me wrong. i think that for the new millennials, they are seeing another way, especially with the advent of covid. people had to do different things. i believe the framers of the constitution intended for the constitution to grant us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. however, our nine chief justices

interpret that constitution. as i am listening to c-span i am thinking that the beautiful document that holds our country together -- and god bless america -- is a living, breathing thing. so should our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be as well. after raising my children i think that is what i originally wanted and they want as well. thank you for taking my call. host: in your study, you found that 50% of the young people you surveyed strongly agreed with the idea there is no one american dream. instead, the american dream can and should look different for each individual. 43% strongly agree and 40% somewhat agree that the american dream means something very different to me that it did to my parents and other

generations, which echoes what our caller just said. guest: absolutely. i appreciate her thoughts on that. because covid is one of these things that impacted them so much -- and we saw so many things come out of that, economic related, health related, education related -- it definitely had an impact. as i mentioned before, 24% put very high at the top of the list the cost of living. 21% issues related to workforce including job training and protections for workers. somebody mentioned to me the other day that our parents' generation had one technological moment that really impacted everything and that was the onslaught of computers coming into the workforce and how that changed everything. what we could be seeing his every three to five years another technological advancement that changes workforces.

the fact that things are so much faster, changes happening faster, that is one of the other things we see. change is happening fast. being able to react differently to a changing economy, a changing environment, but again, to your point, 50% and then 83% feel like you cannot define your dream and make that the definition of everyone's is one of the most major things to calm out of the work. host: folks 34 and under with other thoughts on this, (202)-748-8000. 35 to 64, (202)-748-8001. 65 and over, (202)-748-8002. on that 65 and over line, from pennsylvania, brian, go ahead. caller: good morning. it looks like this becomes a discussion of collectivism versus the individual. it seems like, to me, i think

the individual is the most important. that is what we are connected to. if we do not excel as individuals, we will not have society. that is how i see it. each individual has a relationship with the state. it seems like, recently, the citizenship is becoming devalued. to me that is a problem. i feel that we, as individuals, can excel -- again, it helps society. but i think the problem with the younger people is they are so tied financially to colleges and universities. they are in debt and what they

are teaching them is a bunch of lies. with this genderism and racial problems, i think they are more drummed up than they really are. this is a pretty good society and let's promote individualism to excel which will make society better. and let's teach math, science, and let's excel again. that is what america is about. host: let's let amy get the chance to respond because you raised quite a few points. guest: i think one of the big things is, yes, it is about the individual and contributing to society. i do think we saw with the survey and individuals we talked to this sense that they should be involved. they should vote in elections. they should join online

community and advocate around the issues they care about. they should be part -- and they feel they are responsible for pursuing their american dream and what that looks like. but there is also this real sense that as they establish their political roots, they value doing things that will be affected and have impact, directly serve others in real-time, and create long-lasting change. young americans defy that conventional is him that they are fragile and instead embrace high expectations. they are looking for ways that require effort to engage in politics and be part of the collective good. it is not like they are not individually defining what their american dream is or have a responsibility to pursue it. there is also the sense that doing so and being part of a collective to have impact to drive change, and to have really

strong public leaders who reflect that, who are authentic and listen to what they value and build strong public policy to support that. host: we have a headline from " usa today" about political involvement and who the young republicans might want to win in 2024. spoiler alert, it is not necessarily donald trump. i am wondering what else you heard about political involvement and about the election in your survey. guest: what we are seeing -- the 2024 presidential election is a long ways off in the eyes of some americans. one in four say they are undecided. but i think more then a year out from picking the next

president, the majority do not think the outcome will matter significantly in their lives and are not motivated to vote. that is a snapshot in time of a year out but they need to see people working on the issues they care about. they do think it is important for them to vote. but again, they will be -- i think we will see that increase -- but as of right now, they are not fully understanding what their political involvement will be and what they will do. i do think that is why you probably see vice president harris talking to different colleges more than a year out from the election. i think they had an incredible impact in the midterm elections, the youth vote did, so this is one of the voting blocks people will spend time and try to have that conversation about what

matters to them. they need to have that conversation, engage them, and get that energy to get involved. i think they sense their political involvement can make change. host: let's go to tom in maryland on the 35 to 65 line. caller: good morning. i am listening to this conversation. it is very interesting. lately, some of the topics have been legacy as far as who is getting into college. i think that is an issue that is definitely on the forefront of a lot of young people's minds. a lot of them cannot get into college because the slots are all fulfilled. also, when we talk about politics, we go over the fact that a lot of young people are

very negative thinking people. the majority of the ones i see are young people. i don't see the young people standing their ground against them. some are, but the majority are not. they are spoiled and they just go along because, like i said, this legacy thing does not only apply in colleges. it is across-the-board and you can see the results of it. especially the african-american kids. they see the impact of it greatly. there is nothing they can do about it because -- i don't want to use you as an example -- but i do not know if you were a legacy person. we see the faces of you. that is not negative or positive, but when we only start seeing these types of images --

even if you look at this step -- host: let's give amy a chance to respond. guest: i think the point i would really want to make is that we cannot treat these groups like a monolith. when we talk about young people 18 to 34, they do not look the same, they do not have the same experience. a lot of that is helping to find where the commonality is in the way this generation thinks. but understanding they also, whether it is the place they grew up in, urban, suburban, and rural, whether it is their race or gender or economic experience, you cannot treat this group like a monolith. i think you have seen in the past we have treated voting blocks that way and there is a lot of differences amongst it as well. i think that is why they want to engage, they want to see more young people in office making

these decisions, were people that look like them making these decisions. that is why they are embracing change and wanting to see some things to have impact in the issues they care the most about. host: that is all the time we have for today. amy dacey, executive director of the american university politics section, thank you so much for joining us. that is it on "washington journal". join us again tomorrow. ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2023] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

everywhere else. c-span, powered by cable. >> coming up next, remarks by president biden at the united nations general assembly, he called on other nations to in