The American Democracy Optimists

One Big Thing

 

Partisan divides were on full display during this week’s Joint Address to Congress and the reaction to last week’s Oval Office visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Amid these headlines and today’s political environment, bipartisanship may seem like a distant memory. Political divisions often drive media coverage, leaving stories of cross-party collaboration so infrequent that one could think bipartisan lawmaking has ceased altogether.

But bipartisan policymaking is alive, and public servants are working across the aisle on important issues for the American people.

Since the beginning of this legislative session, lawmakers from both parties have co-introduced a range of bills that most Americans can agree on. For example, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) co-sponsored a bill that would provide continual support for families of fallen service members. And after the devastating plane crash in Washington, D.C. in January, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced a bill that would increase funding for air traffic control staffing and training.

Bipartisan cooperation may not drive the news, but it enables the government to create effective and long-lasting policies that tackle issues impacting all Americans, regardless of party affiliation.

 

Bush Institute Insights

• The Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) Program – a joint initiative between the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William, J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson – convened its 10th annual class for the first time in Philadelphia in late January. After their four-day module focused on leadership development and connecting across differences, the Scholars reported feeling inspired by new perspectives and reinvigorated by a shared purpose. They then reconvened in Dallas in late February where they engaged with a number of experts.

• In the Houston Chronicle, the Bush Institute’s Director of Global Policy Chris Walsh discusses the importance of "personal pluralism" – the practice of holding space for beliefs that don’t always align with those of our preferred political team. The Bush Institute was proud to be part of an op-ed campaign organized by Interfaith America and the New Pluralists that invited people from across the country to share their experiences connecting across differences. A multitude of stories has been published about bridgebuilding and collaboration that show division in our country is not as rampant as it seems.

• William McKenzie writes in The Dallas Morning News that as Americans receive more news from social media influencers and podcasters, those influencers should adopt journalistic standards, such as asking challenging questions and maintaining independence.

• Keely Cat-Wells, a 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar, recently shared how the PLS Program has impacted her work to increase accessibility and representation for disabled people across the world.

• Editor-in-Chief of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute Jonathan Tepperman spoke to Victor Cha, Senior Fellow at the Bush Institute, about the growing threat that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (CRINK) pose to Western democracy. Cha argues that the U.S. must continue supporting Ukraine and other U.S. allies to counter authoritarian threats.

• A report out of Rutgers examines the state of local journalism in New Jersey, finding that most print newspapers will halt physical publication within five to seven years, making it critical to sustain robust digital news coverage. These lessons apply to all states grappling with the decline of local journalism.

• Google researchers have pluralism on their minds as they design new AI systems. According to a new report, researchers at the tech giant are attempting to build AI that respects diverse human outlooks by capturing a broader range of perspectives in data annotation.

• In a Forbes op-ed, Jamie Merisotis, the CEO of Lumina Foundation, argues for an increase in civics courses in higher education. He also points to universities in red and blue states that have recently introduced such courses, including the State University of New York and Arizona State University.

• Writing in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, writes about the passing and legacy of Aga Khan IV, the imam of the Ismaili Muslims. Patel details Khan's deep commitment to pluralism, which he saw as a means of fostering empathy and cooperation, and countering division and autocracy.

• In The Washington Post, More Perfect’s John Bridgeland and Alan Khazei challenge fellow Americans to practice “big citizenship.” They argue that one way to tackle the many challenges facing our nation – natural disasters, declining societal trust, and low military recruitment to name a few – is reinvigorating large scale national service. They also have a big goal in mind: They want to see one million Americans committing to national service each year.

• Author Alexandra Hudson writes on the ancient origin and meaning of “civility” for the Ronald Reagan Center on Civility and Democracy. Too often, we fail to appreciate how important civility is to the endurance of American democracy. As she puts it, “Throughout history, civility and education have contributed to civic renewal, multidimensional human flourishing, and the preservation of freedom.” You can also revisit our conversation with Hudson on The Strategerist podcast.

 

---

To learn more about the Bush Institute's work on Strengthening Our Democracy, email Anne Wicks, the Don Evans Family Managing Director of Opportunity and Democracy, or Chris Walsh, Director of Global Policy.