The American Democracy Optimists

One Big Thing

 

We're in the middle of the holiday season, and sometimes the most challenging place to practice civil discourse is at the kitchen table with our own family members and friends.

But research from the Cambridge University Press suggests that considerate dinner party conversation about politics can increase political understanding and sympathy. Ahead of the holiday season, Chris Walsh, Director of Global Policy at the Bush Institute, shared some helpful advice for tackling heated topics. The trick, he says, is to make sure that you're actually listening to understand and beginning the conversation with an open mindset. Don’t try to win the conversation – just be curious.

From everyone at the Bush Institute, we wish you a holiday season full of good cheer, good food, and good conversation – even and especially when it's political.

 

Bush Institute Insights

• Bush Institute Research Fellow Joseph Kim provides further advice on how to nurture dialogue and civility during the holidays: Begin from a place of gratitude, abide by the golden rule, and view differences and disagreements as an "inside force" rather than a source of division.

• Chris Walsh recently reflected on the centrality of gratitude to American democracy. Despite the diverse and often contrary perspectives of family members, we choose to celebrate together during Thanksgiving. Walsh argues that this is the essence of the American experience: 330 million people of diverse backgrounds, religions, and cultures all pursuing a more perfect union.

• With the rise of global authoritarianism, our civic and democratic virtues are more vital than ever. Bush Institute Fellow Ellen Bork recently laid out recommendations for combatting authoritarianism abroad and at home.

• Speaking of democracy around the world, the Bush Institute released new policy recommendations earlier this month for Congress and the Trump Administration on how to help Ukraine win the unprovoked war Vladimir Putin started.

• Margot Habiby, Deputy Director of Communcations at the Bush Institute, shared an incredible story of how one Presidential Leadership Scholar demonstrated leadership when it was a matter of life and limb. As Habiby describes, it “illustrates how the program’s unique environment – and the bonds it creates between Scholars – can make a real difference in the world.”

• Bipartisan policy experts from AEI, Brookings, and the Bipartisan Policy Committee released the "Grand Bargain," a set of policy recommendations from economists of varying backgrounds keen on finding common ground. While the authors may not agree on every policy position, the report itself is a testament to the persistent potential of bipartisan collaboration.

• The democratic process doesn't end with an election. It's a continuous journey, and the LA Times suggested a few ways to become more civically engaged, including subscribing to local news, volunteering for a cause, and attending a city council or town hall meeting.

• While local news continues to struggle around the country, there's some hopeful news out of Atlanta. TV executive Andrew Morse has recently undertaken a $150 million plan to revitalize the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. By focusing on Georgia politics, sports, and Black culture, the AJC aims to increase subscriptions five-fold.

• Writing for The Dispatch, Asma Uddin, a pluralism fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, discusses how religious pluralism must accept the existence of stark spiritual differences while seeking interfaith engagement on common projects. She notes that the “key to this future lies not in minimizing religious differences but in developing frameworks for meaningful collaboration that honor both distinctiveness and shared purpose.” The Bush Institute has drawn similar conclusions through its own exploration of religious pluralism.

 

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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.