Find Your Way / What To Read
Abi Olvera interviews Phelosha Collaros for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Don’t panic: AI can strengthen democracy too
BOOKS
Featured Title:
I Never Thought of It That Way
Author:
Mónica Guzmán
Description:
Journalist Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted—twice—for Donald Trump. Partisanship is up, trust is down, and our social media feeds make us sure we’re right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). But avoiding one another is hurting our relationships and our society. In this timely, personal guide, Mónica, offers tools and fresh, surprising insights to prove that seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible. It’s easier than you think.
American Schism
By Radwell and Israel
Two disparate Americas have always coexisted. In this thoroughly researched, engaging and ultimately hopeful story of our nation's divergent roots, Seth David Radwell clearly links the fascinating history of the two American Enlightenments to our raging political division.
Two disparate Americas have always coexisted. In this thoroughly researched, engaging and ultimately hopeful story of our nation's divergent roots, Seth David Radwell clearly links the fascinating history of the two American Enlightenments to our raging political division.
Beyond Your Bubble
By Tania Israel
An accessible, politically-neutral, resource for people who are interested in dialogue across political lines. Focuses on skill-development, showing how we can reach across the divide and bring Americans together, one conversation at a time.
An accessible, politically-neutral, resource for people who are interested in dialogue across political lines. Focuses on skill-development, showing how we can reach across the divide and bring Americans together, one conversation at a time.
Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop
By Lee Drutman
Weaving together history, democratic theory, and cutting edge political science research, Drutman tells the story of how American politics became so toxic and why that’s destroying the shared sense of fairness and legitimacy on which democracy depends.
Weaving together history, democratic theory, and cutting edge political science research, Drutman tells the story of how American politics became so toxic and why that’s destroying the shared sense of fairness and legitimacy on which democracy depends.
Conversations with People Who Hate Me
By Dylan Marron
Rather than run from online vitriol, Marron began a social experiment in which he invited his detractors to chat with him on the phone—conversations that revealed surprising and fascinating insights. Charmingly candid and refreshingly hopeful.
Rather than run from online vitriol, Marron began a social experiment in which he invited his detractors to chat with him on the phone—conversations that revealed surprising and fascinating insights. Charmingly candid and refreshingly hopeful.
Defusing American Anger
By Zachary Elwood
This book will help politically passionate Americans—both conservatives and liberals—learn the importance of reducing contempt and see that you can work towards any political goal while also working to reduce toxic polarization.
This book will help politically passionate Americans—both conservatives and liberals—learn the importance of reducing contempt and see that you can work towards any political goal while also working to reduce toxic polarization.
The Depolarizing of America
By Kirk J. Schneider
The culmination of years of effort to promote safe, mindfully structured dialogues in homes, offices, classrooms, and community centers, the book shares time-tested skills for those who are striving for social healing and positive collective change.
The culmination of years of effort to promote safe, mindfully structured dialogues in homes, offices, classrooms, and community centers, the book shares time-tested skills for those who are striving for social healing and positive collective change.
Divided We Fall
By David French
Argues renewing national unity will require the bravery to commit ourselves to embracing kindness, decency, and grace towards those we disagree with ideologically. French calls on all of us to demonstrate true tolerance so we can heal the divide.
Argues renewing national unity will require the bravery to commit ourselves to embracing kindness, decency, and grace towards those we disagree with ideologically. French calls on all of us to demonstrate true tolerance so we can heal the divide.
From Conflict to Convergence
By Fersh and Levison
Incisive, hands-on guide to de-escalating conflict and constructively engaging with those you disagree with to find better solutions to problems. Speaks to concerned citizens looking for concrete pathways to find common ground and lessen troubling divides.
Incisive, hands-on guide to de-escalating conflict and constructively engaging with those you disagree with to find better solutions to problems. Speaks to concerned citizens looking for concrete pathways to find common ground and lessen troubling divides.
High Conflict
By Amanda Ripley
How do good people lose their minds in soul-crushing conflicts with co-workers, neighbors, grown siblings, or even national politicians? Journalist Ripley reveals how we can help one another break out of destructive feuds and generate healthy, useful conflict.
How do good people lose their minds in soul-crushing conflicts with co-workers, neighbors, grown siblings, or even national politicians? Journalist Ripley reveals how we can help one another break out of destructive feuds and generate healthy, useful conflict.
How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them
By Barbara F. Walter
Both autocracies and healthy democracies are largely immune from civil war; it’s the countries in the middle ground that are most vulnerable. And this is where more and more countries, including the United States, are finding themselves today.
Both autocracies and healthy democracies are largely immune from civil war; it’s the countries in the middle ground that are most vulnerable. And this is where more and more countries, including the United States, are finding themselves today.
In Search of Braver Angels
By David Blankenhorn
Can our American experiment in ordered liberty survive our current afflictions of vanishing social trust and escalating political rancor? Author David Blankenhorn worries that it cannot and believe that our great task is to see that it does.
Can our American experiment in ordered liberty survive our current afflictions of vanishing social trust and escalating political rancor? Author David Blankenhorn worries that it cannot and believe that our great task is to see that it does.
A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation
By Jacobsen, Taylor, and Prater
A call to change the dialogue from the rhetoric of polarizing animosity to a language of healing, where honest differences don’t have to destroy friendships but seek a broader common ground through mutual respect and compassion.
A call to change the dialogue from the rhetoric of polarizing animosity to a language of healing, where honest differences don’t have to destroy friendships but seek a broader common ground through mutual respect and compassion.
Learning to Depolarize
By Kent Lenci
How can schools shoulder some responsibility for depolarizing our fractured society? In this provocative new book, Lenci describes how educators can tackle the challenge of preparing students to communicate and collaborate across lines of deep disagreement.
How can schools shoulder some responsibility for depolarizing our fractured society? In this provocative new book, Lenci describes how educators can tackle the challenge of preparing students to communicate and collaborate across lines of deep disagreement.
Preventing Polarization
By Blanchet and Deters
Offers basic strategies that every teacher can use to help students break down barriers through activities and role playing, showing them how to make a difference, minimize conflict, and build accord.
Offers basic strategies that every teacher can use to help students break down barriers through activities and role playing, showing them how to make a difference, minimize conflict, and build accord.
Poles Apart
By Goldsworthy, Osborne, and Chesterfield
Why are we drawn into rival, often deeply antagonistic factions? Pinpoints the economic and political triggers that tip people from healthy disagreement to dangerous hostility, and shares practical steps we can all take to narrow divisions.
Why are we drawn into rival, often deeply antagonistic factions? Pinpoints the economic and political triggers that tip people from healthy disagreement to dangerous hostility, and shares practical steps we can all take to narrow divisions.
Political Tribes
By Amy Chua
Argues that America must rediscover a national identity that transcends our political tribes and that it is time for a more difficult unity that acknowledges the reality of group differences and fights the deep inequities that divide us.
Argues that America must rediscover a national identity that transcends our political tribes and that it is time for a more difficult unity that acknowledges the reality of group differences and fights the deep inequities that divide us.
Politics Is for Power
By Eitan Hersh
Aided by political theory, history, social science, and stories of ordinary citizens, this book shows us a way toward more effective political participation, how to channel our energy away from political hobbyism and toward empowering our values.
Aided by political theory, history, social science, and stories of ordinary citizens, this book shows us a way toward more effective political participation, how to channel our energy away from political hobbyism and toward empowering our values.
The Road to Wisdom
By Francis S. Collins
Leads us beyond our current animosities to surer footing with a moral, philosophical, and scientific framework to address the problems of our time—distrust of public health, partisanship, racism, response to climate change, and threats to democracy.
Leads us beyond our current animosities to surer footing with a moral, philosophical, and scientific framework to address the problems of our time—distrust of public health, partisanship, racism, response to climate change, and threats to democracy.
The Soul of Civility
By Alexandra Hudson
Harnesses the power of storytelling—sharing gripping and endearing narratives of heroes of civility both familiar and forgotten—to illuminate how civility can help bridge our social, cultural, and political divides.
Harnesses the power of storytelling—sharing gripping and endearing narratives of heroes of civility both familiar and forgotten—to illuminate how civility can help bridge our social, cultural, and political divides.
Talking Across the Divide
By Justin Lee
In a time when every conversation quickly becomes a battlefield, it's up to us to learn how to talk to each other again. Explains how to break through the five key barriers that make people resist differing opinions.
In a time when every conversation quickly becomes a battlefield, it's up to us to learn how to talk to each other again. Explains how to break through the five key barriers that make people resist differing opinions.
Them
By Ben Sasse
Something is wrong. We all know it. We’re the richest country in history, but we’ve never been more pessimistic. There’s a path forward—but reversing our decline requires something radical: a rediscovery of real places and human-to-human relationships.
Something is wrong. We all know it. We’re the richest country in history, but we’ve never been more pessimistic. There’s a path forward—but reversing our decline requires something radical: a rediscovery of real places and human-to-human relationships.
Trust in a Polarized Age
By Kevin Vallier
Offers a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing sense of hopelessness that dogs the American political landscape: strengthen liberal democratic political and economic institutions that create trust by recognizing and respecting our basic human rights.
Offers a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing sense of hopelessness that dogs the American political landscape: strengthen liberal democratic political and economic institutions that create trust by recognizing and respecting our basic human rights.
Union
By Jordan Blashek & Christopher Haugh
Union is a road narrative, a civics lesson, and an unforgettable window into one epic friendship. They answer one of the most pressing questions of our time: How far apart are we really?
Union is a road narrative, a civics lesson, and an unforgettable window into one epic friendship. They answer one of the most pressing questions of our time: How far apart are we really?
Why We're Polarized
By Ezra Klein
Shows how and why American politics polarized around identity, and what that did to the way we see the world and one another. Traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and institutions that are driving our system toward crisis.
Shows how and why American politics polarized around identity, and what that did to the way we see the world and one another. Traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and institutions that are driving our system toward crisis.
NEWS & COMMENTARY
Featured Outlet:
A non-profit news publication working to provide bipartisan dialogue for the politically engaged. Divided We Fall publishes written debates between individuals who disagree in order to expose readers to different viewpoints and demonstrate productive civil discourse.
AllSides
Balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives, and real conversation.
Fulcrum
A platform where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives.
Ground News
A platform that makes it easy to compare news sources, read between the lines of media bias, and break free from algorithms.
Journal of Democracy
The world’s leading publication on the theory and practice of democracy, engaging both activists and intellectuals in critical discussions of the problems of and prospects for democracy around the world.
RESEARCH
Featured Area:
Political Parties & Polarization
Researcher:
Pew Research Center
Description:
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Pew conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research.
America’s Divided Mind
By Beyond Conflict
New insights from brain and behavioral science explain how polarization is fueled by Americans’ misperceptions about each other. Learn more about the psychology that drives us apart, and how we can start to reverse it.
New insights from brain and behavioral science explain how polarization is fueled by Americans’ misperceptions about each other. Learn more about the psychology that drives us apart, and how we can start to reverse it.
Deep dive into Meta’s algorithms shows that America’s political polarization has no easy fix
By David Klepper
Algorithms delivering content to users have increasingly been blamed for amplifying misinformation and political polarization. A series of groundbreaking studies suggest addressing these challenges is not as simple as tweaking the platforms’ software.
Algorithms delivering content to users have increasingly been blamed for amplifying misinformation and political polarization. A series of groundbreaking studies suggest addressing these challenges is not as simple as tweaking the platforms’ software.
The Limits of Partisan Prejudice
By Lelkes and Westwood
Partisanship increasingly factors into the behavior of Americans in both political and nonpolitical situations, yet the bounds of partisan prejudice are largely unknown.
Partisanship increasingly factors into the behavior of Americans in both political and nonpolitical situations, yet the bounds of partisan prejudice are largely unknown.
Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says
By Rachel Kleinfeld
Is the United States polarized or not? If it is, what is causing the polarization and what are its consequences? Should polarization be solved or tolerated? Reviewing a decade of research reveals unexpected findings.
Is the United States polarized or not? If it is, what is causing the polarization and what are its consequences? Should polarization be solved or tolerated? Reviewing a decade of research reveals unexpected findings.
Rethinking Political Polarization
By Andreas Schedler
In current debates about “the global crisis of democracy,” one key term is ubiquitous: political polarization. This paper seeks to circumscribe the use and reconstruct the core of political polarization as an instance of extraordinary democratic conflict.
In current debates about “the global crisis of democracy,” one key term is ubiquitous: political polarization. This paper seeks to circumscribe the use and reconstruct the core of political polarization as an instance of extraordinary democratic conflict.
Political polarization and its echo chambers: Surprising new, cross-disciplinary perspectives from Princeton
By Morgan Kelly
Much like an overexploited ecosystem, the increasingly polarized political landscape in the U.S. and much of the world is experiencing a catastrophic loss of diversity that threatens the resilience not only of democracy, but also of society.
Much like an overexploited ecosystem, the increasingly polarized political landscape in the U.S. and much of the world is experiencing a catastrophic loss of diversity that threatens the resilience not only of democracy, but also of society.
U.S. is polarizing faster than other democracies, study finds
By Brown University
Americans’ feelings toward members of the other political party have worsened over time faster than those of residents of European and other prominent democracies, concluded a study co-authored by Brown economist Jesse Shapiro.
Americans’ feelings toward members of the other political party have worsened over time faster than those of residents of European and other prominent democracies, concluded a study co-authored by Brown economist Jesse Shapiro.
