General posts
There is an anti-authoritarian streak in American culture that many of us love, at least in some of its forms. This is hardly surprising in a country whose creation began
Cops and Teachers: Underappreciated Public Servants Read More »
When it comes to policies and politics, Braver Angels members generally can’t agree on anything. As a result, Braver Angels doesn’t take positions on particular issues. It doesn’t rate or
How to Vote for National Unity Read More »
In my experience, it’s entirely possible to use these skills online, and indeed, if people did so more consciously, our digital world would be a much kinder place.
There is an inherent contradiction at the heart of Braver Angels that we need to resolve. Braver Angels is sometimes a mediator: through our workshops, we provide space for two
Unity, Free Speech, and Our Braver Angels Read More »
In The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff argue that we’ve been fostering a sense of fragility within an entire generation of Americans. I think they
Political Violence and Bullying on the Left: We’re Better Than This Read More »
There has been much controversy incited by the role of the Electoral College in our presidential elections, especially in recent years as results have diverged from national popular vote totals.
Electoral College: Good, Bad, or Ugly? Read More »
Ciaran and John tackle the impeachment question.
Should Donald Trump Be Impeached? Read More »
Ciaran rides solo for a stimulating conversation with Rusty Reno of First Things. Rusty talks about the homogenization of the political elite, and how he sees the electoral college as a bulwark against the power of those with social and economic advantages.
Rusty Reno on Politics and Religion in the Age of Donald Trump Read More »
A year ago today, Christine Blasey Ford went public with a sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. I can’t recall in my lifetime a controversy steeped in
Dispatch: One Year After the Kavanaugh Hearings Read More »
Julie Kohler, author of the Washington Post article “How Calls to ‘Love Your Enemies’ Enforce the Status-Quo,” joins Ciaran and John for a back and forth about her own past
To Depolarize or Not to Depolarize with Julie Kohler Read More »
Five Basic Skills Listen to understand rather than to prepare your rebuttal. If you couldn’t accurately summarize what the other person just said, you haven’t listened. Be curious (“Why you
Ten Better Angels Skills Read More »
You probably haven’t experienced anything like a Braver Angels Debate. It’s not a political debate, where competing candidates attempt to win votes. Nor is it a high school or college
What is a Braver Angels Debate? Read More »
The stadium is packed amid the early November chill for the Super Bowl of the New National Football League. Despite initial criticism, the new format seems to have revitalized the
The Superbowl of Politics Read More »
by Elisabeth Robbins, Better Angels Moderator Daily Democrat Can seven progressives and six conservatives get together for a day of talking about their political beliefs without anger and explosiveness? When
‘Better Angels’ hold workshop Read More »
RealClearPolitics // It’s a rainy, muggy day in Leesburg, Va. Although the town is 30 or so miles from the interminable partisan wrangling in Washington, D.C., it’s infected with some of the same bitter polarization—as is so much of the country.
Slowly Bridging Our Partisan Divide Read More »
A great deal of prime-time TV shows dominating popular culture today are, in fact, international television formats. Competitive shows like The Four, Got Talent, Idol, American Ninja, Master Chef (the
Why is it that US polarization is actually a worldwide phenomenon? Read More »
Take a look at Braver Angels principles or how we act to depolarize both ourselves, our institutions and the country.
Better Angels Principles and Program Read More »
By Monte F. Bourjaily Once upon a time, an op-ed or interview by the former Director of the CIA or head of NSA (much less both of them) warning of
Shifting Perspective to Heal America Read More »
A statement by DC Better Angels (McLean, VA Nov. 4, 2017 Red/Blue Workshop Attendees) At the end of our Better Angels workshop, with an equal number of blues (Democrats) and
“We are all Americans” Read More »
Sun This Week// The “Bridging the Red/Blue Chasm” meeting on June 19 at the Wescott Library put on by the Better Angels Project pleasantly surprised me. To the editor: The
‘Bridging the Red/Blue Chasm’ Read More »
MPR News// Political tensions are sky-high in the United States. Is it possible for people on both ends of a highly polarized political spectrum to give up their differences and
11 ways to talk politics with someone who disagrees Read More »
Better Angels’ lead organizer David Lapp talks about depolarization in action as seen through his experiences with the organization he is with, Better Angels, which facilitates candid conversations between voters
Everyone Knows They’re Being Judged with David Lapp Read More »
Rochester Business Journal // David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values asserts, “We Americans didn’t necessarily think our way into political polarization, but we’ll likely have to think our
It’s Time for Rochester to Lead from the Bottom Up Read More »
The American Interest Podcast by Richard Aldous David Blankenhorn discusses his recent efforts to speak — and more importantly listen to — Trump supporters. He examines their motivations, speaks about
Partisan Deadlock and the Value of Listening Read More »
The Washington Post// Here’s how he says the nation can come together by Colby Itkowitz Blankenhorn, an advocate for the institution of marriage, testified in 2010 against legalizing same-sex marriage.
He dramatically changed his views on gay marriage. Read More »
The Atlantic// by Rebecca Nelson ON A RECENT Sunday evening in Manchester, New Hampshire, 170 people convened for dinner at the Currier Museum of Art. Among the attendees were Washington
The War on Partisanship How Fighting Polarization Became its Own Cause Read More »
