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How can you talk politics in a divided family?

Braver Angels
In this special episode, Mónica — a liberal — joins the two people she’s argued with most — her conservative parents — for a candid conversation about one family’s struggles with a political divide that cuts right through their own home. Looking back on the biggest disagreements that tested their relationships, like Moni’s pro-choice stance…

My Political Autobiography: A Values Reflection Worksheet

Essential Partners
Partisan political campaigns tell us who to fear and who to trust, who to exclude and how to participate. They have defined the limits of what is possible in our civic life and dictated the terms of our public discussions. They activate and leverage our many identities—whether it’s racial identities or sports fandoms, faith lives…

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Conversations in Troubled Times

Living Room Conversations
Disruption, tragedy and conflict are part of our human story. Whether in our own backyard or internationally, deep histories of trauma and loss can make it difficult to speak about current events. For some people the hurt or anger or frustration or fear are simply too present for conversation on the topic to be helpful…

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Polarization and Political Violence: Rachel Kleinfeld

Common Ground Committee
Violent threats against members of Congress are up, and hate crimes have increased to the highest levels ever recorded. Fear is being used as a tool by both Republicans and Democrats to win votes. In this episode, we speak with Rachel Kleinfeld, a fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, an Governance program at Carnegie Endowment for…

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My Political Autobiography: A Student Workbook

Essential Partners
Talking about politics is difficult because politics is one of the ways we express what we really care about—our hopes, our values, our deepest concerns. Political beliefs are about our education, religious commitments, sense of justice, the future of the planet, war and peace, our personal sense of safety and health. This workbook is meant…

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Reformation Series – Cover Down: A Conversation with Dr. Richard Barton – Unite America

Veterans for All Voters
In this Reformation Series, Todd Connor talks with Dr. Richard Barton, a Democracy Fellow at Unite America and a professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. In this interview: 1) We discuss how Louisiana, since 1975 when they eliminated partisan primaries, has become one of the least polarized states in the…

We Need to Talk: Affective Polarization and Discussion

Network for Responsible Public Policy
In the talk, Professor Levendusky discusses the origins of affective polarization, the tendency of Democrats and Republicans to dislike and distrust one another. He will share strategies he has tested in his research for reducing this animosity, centered on discussion.

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Meta-Dialogue Series: Can Different Realities Coexist?

Waging Dialogue
Bobby Powell runs a radio program out of Michigan called “The Truth is Viral.” He has attempted to uncover a cabal of sexual predators that he believes to hold power in Washington DC, implicated federal law enforcement in a plot with Antifa radicals to stage the January 6th Capitol attack as a false flag operation,…

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The Building Civic Bridges Act: Addressing Polarization and Division in the United States

Is it hard for you to talk politics with friends or family with different views? Have you ever felt judged because of your political beliefs? Are you concerned that the future of our democracy may be at risk because we are so divided? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you are not…

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What is the Building Civic Bridges Act and Why Support it?

n the early 2020s, a YMCA near Seattle was stunned when physical fights began breaking out between members over political disagreements. It became so bad, the YMCA hired consultants to train their staff in conflict resolution and planned a series of events to help bridge differences in the community. They asked their federal Representative for…