Chris Walsh, Director of Freedom and Democracy at the Bush Institute, recommends pluralism must-reads.

Over the coming months, the George W. Bush Institute will explore the nature of pluralism and how it’s working in our country. Improving our commitment to pluralism is intrinsically tied to strengthening our democracy.

“Pluralism is valuable for two primary reasons. First, I like to be right. When I set an objective, I want to get as much data, insight, and knowledge as possible. … Getting different viewpoints helps [you] come up with the right solution. Second, pluralism gets everybody in the same boat so they can be part of the solution.” -Former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings

"Pluralism is the concept that lots of different worldviews can coexist and you can still attain outcomes through a democratic process. [Those outcomes] are good enough for most or all of those worldviews." - David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City

“Pluralism is a community’s ability to bring people together to work on complex problems. The operative word there is ‘together’ and a willingness to be open to get things done.” - Mattie Parker, Mayor of Fort Worth

Over the coming months, the George W. Bush Institute will explore the nature of pluralism and how it’s working in our country. Improving our commitment to pluralism is intrinsically tied to strengthening our democracy. 

“In a pluralistic society with many people of many different backgrounds and beliefs, there is the opportunity to bridge the divide through the sharing of civil conversations,” she says.

Over the coming months, the George W. Bush Institute will explore the nature of pluralism and how it’s working in our country. Improving our commitment to pluralism is intrinsically tied to strengthening our democracy.