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Strengthening democracy: The power of dialogue and deliberation
Nov 08, 2024
Hummel is executive director of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation.
In today’s world, democratic values face challenges from rising polarization and declining trust in institutions. At a time when public discourse often feels fragmented, dialogue and deliberation have become essential tools for building trust, bridging divides and fostering community resilience. Democracy, at its core, rests on the principle that all voices deserve to be heard, regardless of political stance.
By cultivating spaces where diverse perspectives can coexist and be respected, dialogue and deliberation offer processes that reflect a broad spectrum of experiences and values.
Dialogue and Deliberation: Essential Pillars of Democracy
Democracy relies not just on voting and representation but on the strength of our connections and the ability to find common ground, especially during times of division. Dialogue and deliberation are two foundational practices that bring these connections to life, offering structured ways for individuals to engage, listen and understand one another’s unique perspectives.
Each practice plays a distinct role in fostering democratic values: Dialogue fosters empathy and mutual respect, while deliberation channels these connections into meaningful, actionable solutions. Together, they create a pathway for people to move beyond disagreement toward collaboration, navigating even the most complex challenges with integrity and inclusivity.
Dialogue allows people to share their stories, listen deeply and connect on a personal level. By nurturing understanding and empathy, dialogue helps individuals see beyond labels and stereotypes, fostering a sense of shared humanity. Through genuine listening and open exchange, dialogue builds trust among participants, creating a foundation for productive engagement.
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Deliberation moves conversations toward collective action by inviting people to weigh different options, consider trade-offs and collaboratively develop solutions. This process ensures that decisions are informed, inclusive and considerate of all voices. Deliberation empowers communities to face even the most challenging topics together, transforming differences into strengths and enabling more balanced, sustainable outcomes.
In practice, dialogue and deliberation not only foster empathy and collective action but also anchor the democratic process itself. By engaging communities in open conversations and collaborative decision-making, these practices allow individuals to actively participate in shaping policies that reflect shared values and goals. This approach doesn’t just resolve immediate issues; it strengthens the core principles of democracy — self-governance, civic responsibility and inclusivity — making communities more resilient and better equipped to face future challenges.
How Dialogue and Deliberation Strengthen Democracy
Dialogue and deliberation empower communities and support a resilient democracy through:
- Building trust and bridging divides. Structured conversations create safe spaces for open dialogue, fostering trust and unity across social, political and cultural divides. By actively listening, participants find common ground and build a shared purpose.
- Promoting transparency. Dialogue and deliberation invite open discussion and transparent information-sharing, fostering accountability in public decisions.
- Collaborative problem-solving. Dialogue brings diverse perspectives together, generating innovative solutions to complex challenges.
- Encouraging civic responsibility. Meaningful conversations about community issues instill a sense of civic duty and responsibility.
- Reducing polarization. By fostering empathy and understanding, dialogue and deliberation reduce partisan hostility.
- Empowering citizens. Inclusive deliberation enables individuals to make informed choices, actively participate and take ownership of community decisions, fostering an engaged and resilient citizenship.
Democracy Is for Everyone: Bridging Ideological Divides
In these polarized times, even the term “democracy” can feel divisive. Different groups in recent years have often used it to champion their ideals while questioning the legitimacy of others, turning “democracy” into a rhetorical tool rather than a shared value. This selective framing risks overshadowing the true essence of democracy as a system designed to be inclusive and representative of all voices. At its core, democracy is for everyone, creating a foundation where diverse perspectives can coexist, engage and contribute to a shared future.
The strength of democracy lies in its ability to resonate across ideologies, fostering a system where a variety of values coexist and contribute to collective decisions.
For those who identify as conservative, democracy aligns with values like personal responsibility, individual freedoms and thoughtful engagement in governance. Dialogue and deliberation uphold these values by encouraging reasoned, respectful exchanges that allow voices to be heard and respected.
For those with liberal views, democracy embodies inclusivity, equality and empathy. Dialogue and deliberation amplify marginalized voices, fostering empathy and driving decision-making that reflects a broader social conscience. Ultimately, democracy thrives on its ability to balance diverse perspectives, creating a shared space where different ideals can shape policies that reflect the community as a whole.
NCDD’s Role in Strengthening Democracy Through Dialogue and Deliberation
The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation serves as a vital convener and resource center dedicated to advancing the practices of dialogue and deliberation. Our work unites people across sectors and society to foster conversations and collaboration that strengthen democracy. Through national conferences, regular networking calls and accessible resources, we bring dialogue and deliberation to the broadest possible audience. These initiatives and tools empower individuals and organizations with essential skills for fostering inclusive, participatory environments where every voice is valued.
Democracy depends on each of us doing the hard work of listening, deliberating and acting together. Dialogue and deliberation are not only tools for democratic engagement — they are at the heart of it. In a time of increasing polarization, these practices remind us of what we can achieve when we come together, connect and collaborate.
Join us in strengthening the democratic foundation we all share by supporting NCDD. Your involvement ensures that dialogue and deliberation continue to foster a resilient, well-informed democracy where every voice has a place in shaping our collective future. Get involved today and be part of the movement that keeps democracy vibrant and inclusive for all.
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Once again I ask: Do presidential elections really matter?
Nov 07, 2024
Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
In October 2012, I published an op-ed in the Huffington Post asking, “Do Presidential Elections Really Matter?” In May 2023 I wrote a similar column in The Fulcrum asking the question once again.
Unfortunately, in the 12 years since my first writing little has changed. Both Democrats and Republicans believe if their nominee gets elected, the serious problems our country faces will be tackled with a new vigor, and real change will actually occur. But is this really what history suggests will generally be the case?
Take the deficit problem as an example. In 2010, the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (often called Simpson-Bowles or Bowles-Simpson after ots co-chairs, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles) was created to identify policies to deal with the spiraling deficit. While economists and politicians universally believe that we must tackle the deficit problem, our nation’s deficit has exploded in the ensuing 14 years.
Does anyone really believe this urgent national problem will be addressed if the liberal wing of the Democrat Party is unwilling to cut entitlements and conservative Republicans are unwilling to raise revenue?
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So often in our history a new president comes into office with lofty ideals only to be stymied by the system. Yet politicians and the media overplay the importance of the outcome of presidential elections in determining the direction our country will take in the four years following the election. More often than not our national elections merely validate an establishment that never really changes.
I suggest this is exactly what is likely to occur today, unless a new paradigm is created that changes the temperament and the process by which Congress operates. The president can propose legislation, the president can use the bully pulpit, but the president's hands will be tied if we have a divided Congress, one in which lawmakers are more interested in scoring points against the other political party than in solving problems.
For our nation to address the complex problems we face, a new paradigm is needed that changes the current incentives of not reaching across the aisle to find common ground, so that our government can better serve the people by addressing the great issues of our time. Yet, the concept of Republicans and Democrats working together is not as simple as one might think given the need to overcome the powers in Washington that discourage cooperation. The lobbyists, the PACs, and the party leadership all have a vested interest in putting their position and their party above the common interests of the country.
And so, nothing gets done and problems get worse.
The American electorate is fed up with Congress putting party before country. That's why almost half of the voting public are independents, refusing to be labeled by any party affiliation. A poll conducted in August indicates that only 19 percent of Americans approve of how Congress functions and believe it is serving their interests. And that's why it is time for a change.
Change is never easy in Washington, D.C. It will not be easy to overcome the power of interest groups and party leaders. Our political parties have organized themselves into warring clans that value defeating the other side over even the most basic acts of governing. Given that many of the problems with America's government have become election-proof, change is needed.
We've been inundated the last six months, as happens before every election, with politicians making promises about how they will fix our tax system, reform immigration laws, improve our schools, address budget problems; all promises made and never fulfilled. After every election, these promises are crushed under the weight of the same poisonous rhetoric and partisan posturing.
It is time that we learn that America doesn't just need new people in office. We need a commitment to a new politics of problem solving. A politics that values a core belief that the search for solutions should be based on reason, logic and inquiry, where a conclusion follows from a set of premises, not the other way around. A new politics is needed that allows room for people from different parties and with different beliefs to sit around a table and make the tough decisions everyone knows need to be made.
Thomas Jefferson recognized that democracy was born from discourse and discussion, and that the resulting discussion would overflow with differing perspectives and opinions. Our Framers believed ideological differences would ultimately lead to inquiry, and inquiry to truth. In their writings to each other, they discussed how civil discourse and critical thought were essential for their grand experiment in democracy.
If this election and future elections are going to really matter it is time for the vision of Jefferson and the other Framers to be realized. Our nation's motto "E pluribus unum" (out of many, one) must become the standard we demand of our candidates and of our elected officials. We must demand a new politics that allows room for people from different parties and with different beliefs to sit around a table and make the tough decisions everyone knows need to be made. And we need to trust in the intentions of the loyal opposition to be a differing perspective for the public good.
Unless this happens, I will again ask in 2028, 2032 and beyond: Do elections really matter?
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Understanding ‘logos’: The power of words
Nov 07, 2024
Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.
As the dust settles on another contentious election cycle, Americans are left to ponder the lasting impact of the countless speeches delivered by those vying for our votes. These orations, often derided as mere "campaign rhetoric," are, in fact, far more profound. They represent a timeless exercise of the ancient concept of "logos" — the art of using words to paint vivid pictures, conjure entire worlds and shape the very course of our nation.
Logos, derived from the Greek word for reason or discourse, uses logical, rational arguments to persuade and convince others. It has been a driving force in American politics since the republic's earliest days, with leaders continually harnessing its power to inspire, educate and call their fellow citizens to action. From Abraham Lincoln's soaring Gettysburg Address to Martin Luther King Jr.'s impassioned "I Have a Dream" speech, logos has been the engine of social and political change throughout history.
The power of logos have been on full display in the political speeches delivered by this cycle's presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, in the campaign's final days. Standing on the hallowed grounds of the National Mall, Harris summoned the spirits of suffragists and civil rights activists who once fought for a greater cause. Her words wove a tapestry of struggle and progress, culminating in a call to action that felt deeply personal and universally relevant. She reminded her listeners that the story of America is one of constant striving, of a nation forever reaching for its highest ideals. And she issued a challenge — to continue that journey, to push forward even when the path ahead proved challenging.
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Contrast this with Trump's discourse, which conjures a world of grievance, division, and nostalgia for a bygone era. His words often seek to stoke fear and anger, to create a sense of us versus them and to position himself as the champion of those feeling left behind. He speaks of a declining nation, threats lurking around every corner and enemies at the gate. Trump's is a rhetoric of resentment, a call to arms against the forces of other than himself. Where Harris' words were inclusive, Trump's are exclusive. Where she sought to heal, he sought to divide. In his vision, America is a fortress under siege, not a beacon of hope for the world.
These two oratorical approaches represent fundamentally different visions of what America is and what it can be. They demonstrate logos' power to unite, divide, inspire or inflame. This dual nature of political speech will only become more critical in the days and years ahead. On one hand, it can be a force for unity and uplift, bridging divides and inspiring collective action towards a common purpose. Through the power of words, leaders can tap into our shared values and aspirations, reminding us of the ties that bind us together as a people. They can paint a vision of an inclusive and just future where every voice is heard and every story is valued. In this way, political speech can heal wounds, mend fractures and rebuild a sense of common purpose.
On the other hand, it can be a weapon of polarization, a tool for sowing discord and an entrenching of existing fault lines. With divisive and inflammatory rhetoric, leaders can exploit our fears and deepen our divisions. They can create an "us versus them" mentality, where those who disagree are not just opponents but enemies. This kind of speech poisons our public discourse, making it impossible to find common ground or work toward the common good.
Moving forward from this election, the question of how we will wield the power of logos will shape the course of history for generations to come. Will the choice of our words be to lift each other or to tear each other down? Will we seek to heal and unite or to divide and conquer? The answer to that question will determine whether America remains a source of hope and symbol of freedom for the world. Or will we succumb to the forces of fear, anger and resentment. We are remembering the profound power of words to shape our collective destiny. As the ancient Greeks knew well, logos is not just a tool of persuasion — it is the force that gives meaning and direction to our lives.
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Latino men help Donald Trump return to the White House
Nov 07, 2024
Balta is director of solutions journalism and DEI initiatives for The Fulcrum and a board member of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, the parent organization of The Fulcrum. He is publisher of the Latino News Network and a trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network.
Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States, thanks in part to his major improvements in reaching the Latino electorate, especially Latino men.
Preliminary exit polls from CNN indicate that while Vice President Kamala Harris won a slim majority of votes with Latinos (53 percent), over half (54 percent) of Latino men supported Trump. In comparison, 45 percent backed Harris. Four years ago, the figures were nearly reversed. In 2020, 59 percent of Latino men supported Joe Biden, while 36 percent supported Trump, according to exit polls from that election.
An estimated 36.2 million Latino people were eligible to vote this year, up from 32.3 million in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. This represents 50 percent of the total growth in eligible voters during this time.
Latinos comprise around 30 percent of the electorate in two key Southwest battlegrounds, Arizona and Nevada, where Trump is leading Harris in the neck-and-neck race. Trump lost both states to Biden in 2020.
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Polling released this week by UnidosUS and partner organizations reveals that Latino support for Harris was highest in Pennsylvania (72 percent to 26 percent), a key battleground state where Trump secured 19 electoral votes on election night. The poll also revealed that Latino voters were driven to the polls by their concerns over pocketbook issues, including the cost of living, jobs and the economy, housing affordability, and health care costs. AnAP VoteCast poll found respondents said Trump is stronger on the economy.
Pennsylvania voter Regino Cruz told NBC News that he voted for Trump because he believed the former president could improve the economy. “For me, it’s work. It’s the economy. It’s groceries,” said Cruz.
"Republicans have consistently beat Democrats on connecting with voters on the economy," said Clarissa Martinez De Castro, vice president of UnidosUS. "This was a referendum on the economy, and that has consistently been the number one, two and three issues for Hispanic voters."
Demographic Diversity And Regional Variations
Latino voters are not a monolithic group; they represent a diverse array of nationalities, cultures and political beliefs. This diversity means that voting patterns vary significantly based on geographic location, age and socioeconomic status.
In Florida, for instance, whereLatinos voted for the former president over Harris 53 percent to 44 percent, many Cuban American voters support Trump due to his strong stance against the socialist government in Cuba, which resonates with their personal histories and political values.
"There are more conservative Hispanics now than there were in 2020," said Eduardo Gamarra, a professor of politics at FIU and director of the Latino Public Opinion Forum, in an interview with CBS. "Do not use the term 'progressive' in Florida. Fidel Castro called himself a progressive, Evo Morales in Bolivia calls himself a progressive, and Nicolas Maduro calls himself a progressive," he noted.
In Texas, a combination of cultural conservatism and economic concerns led some Latino voters to favor Trump’s policies. In the traditionally Democratic strongholds along the border, Trump managed a near sweep by winning 14 out of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border. He carried all four counties in the Rio Grande Valley, including Starr County, with more than 57% of the vote. It's the first time the GOP has won there since 1896.
BSP Research’s pollingof 1,900 Latino registered voters across eight battleground states highlights the complexity of this rapidly growing demographic, challenging the notion of a binary political alignment.
When asked which candidate they believe will protect democracy and uphold the Constitution, Mexican Americans favored Harris by a 37-point margin, while Cuban-Americans preferred Trump by an 8-point margin.
Regarding the issue of abortion, three-fourths of Mexican and Puerto Rican Americans agreed it is wrong to make abortion illegal and remove choice, regardless of personal beliefs.
Similarly, over two-thirds of Cuban Americans expressed agreement with this perspective.
On immigration, 70 percent of Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, indicated they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the United States. Among Cuban Americans, 71 percent expressed support for a candidate with a similar stance.
Understanding Latino Conservative Values
Among Latinos, there exists a segment that identifies with conservative values, which can be influenced by a combination of cultural, religious, economic and social factors.
A strong emphasis on family is a hallmark of Latino culture, often influencing conservative values. Many Latino conservatives prioritize traditional family structures and uphold the importance of family unity. This focus on family extends to broader community ties, where there is often a commitment to supporting local initiatives and helping neighbors. These values align with conservative principles that emphasize the significance of the family as the foundational unit of society.
Religion plays a vital role in the lives of many Latinos, particularly among those who identify as conservative. A significant portion of the Latino population is Roman Catholic, but there is also a growing number of evangelical Christians. Faith often shapes moral and ethical perspectives, leading to conservative views on marriage, life, and social responsibilities. This connection to faith can foster a sense of community and shared values among Latino conservatives.
“Latino churches, in order to gain a sense of power and acceptance, began to align with (white conservative) evangelical churches in the U.S.,” observed Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, a scholar of the Association of Hispanic Theological Association.
Education is a critical issue for many Latino conservatives, who often prioritize access to quality educational opportunities for their children. Many support school choice initiatives, including charter schools and voucher programs, which can provide better educational options for families. This focus on education aligns with conservative values that prioritize parental involvement and decision-making in children’s education.
Latino conservative values reflect cultural, religious and economic beliefs emphasizing family, faith, individual responsibility and community. While there is significant diversity within the Latino community, those who identify with conservative values contribute to the broader political landscape in the United States. Understanding these values is crucial for fostering dialogue and collaboration across different political and cultural perspectives. As Latino communities evolve and grow, their influence on American politics and society will likely remain significant.
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