Despite a week packed with travel, I'm thrilled to be back just in time to invite you to a captivating event tonight. The Network for Responsible Public Policy is hosting a discussion with Matthew Levendusky, whose insights into overcoming affective polarization and partisan media effects have resonated with many of us. I'll be guest hosting tonight’s session, where Levendusky will delve into research-backed strategies from his recent book, Our Common Bond, to alleviate partisan animosity through dialogue. His work aligns with our understanding that there’s no single solution to the complex challenges facing our democracy.

Additionally, the Common Ground Committee’s latest podcast featuring Rachel Kleinfeld is a must-hear. In it, she discussed political violence and the impact of discourse in cooling down the heat and creating goodwill. You might recall our engaging roundtable with her in September, where she emphasized that discourse is important for de-escalating tensions in the short term, but enduring stability and the defense of democratic norms require deep-rooted institutional changes.

These discussions are more than just intellectual exercises; they are crucial to our joint mission of fostering healthy self-governance and bridging ideological divides. Your participation and insights are invaluable to our collective effort. I look forward to your thoughts and hope to see you at tonight’s events.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) October 25th: AllStances™: Should We Ban Assault Weapons?

Civity (Blog) October 29th: A Quilting Meditation on Democracy, Social Connection, & Civity

Congressional Management Foundation (Article) October 31st: How Congressional Staff are Like Gardeners, and Other Takeaways

Divided We Fall (Article) November 1st: Will the Inflation Reduction Act Reduce the Effects of Climate Change?

Essential Partners (Guide) October 23rd: Guide to Talking About the Role of Guns

Independent Voter Project (Video) October 26th: Virtual Discussion: Fighting For Open Primaries in Democratic Strongholds

Issue One (Video) October 5th: It’s More Than Just TikTok: A Virtual Panel with National Security and Technology Experts

National Civic League (Essay) October 26th: Essay V: The Internet Knows Where You Are

Unite America (Report) October 24th: Alaska's Election Model: How the top-four nonpartisan primary system improves participation, competition, and representation

Podcasts

Alliance for Peacebuilding (Peace: We Build It!) October 24th: AfP at 20: More than Two Decades of Peacebuilding

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) October 26th: Polarization and political violence: Rachel Kleinfeld

Everyday Democracy (Reimagining and Redesigning Democracy) October 27th: Reimagining and Redesigning Democracy with Merle McGee

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) October 26th: Dr. Todd Rose: Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) October 30th: A Conversation with The Honorable Pete Buttigieg

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Network for Responsible Public Policy (November 2nd @ 7:30 pm EDT) We Need to Talk: Affective Polarization and Discussion

Interactivity Foundation (November 3rd @ 2 pm EDT) Who are We the People–Who Is Being Pushed Out? 

Living Room Conversations (November 6th @ 5 pm MST) Trust in Elections Conversations

92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (November 7th @ 7 pm EST) Backsliding Democracies and Women’s Rights in the U.S.

Business for America (November 9th @ 12 pm EST) Business Perspectives on Political Backlash



Featured Fulcrum Articles

David L. Nevins, James C. Nelson, November 1st: Just another day in paradise 

Sara Gifford (Activote) November 1st: Five reasons to be active this November - The Fulcrum

David Meyers, October 31st: Can Speaker Mike Johnson find common ground with Democrats?

Dave Anderson, October 30th: Transitioning to tripartisanship

Elizabeth Doty, October 30th: How business can help address the American schism without touching political “third rails”