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TheChisel

TheChisel is the first and only civic engagement platform created to help people and institutions with opposing views find common ground and reach agreement - on facts and solutions. We offer you a unique platform to engage in public policy-making with experts from nonpartisan organizations and bipartisan coalitions. You can comment on proposals these experts have created—they'll listen to your feedback and revise the proposals to build consensus nationwide. And then, we'll help these organizations send these proposals to Congress. TheChisel is your vehicle for reclaiming your voice and your vote.

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Strengthening democracy: The power of dialogue and deliberation

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.

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Trump speaking on a crowded stage

President-elect Donald Trump speaks in West Palm Beach, Fla., on election night.

Brendan Gutenschwager/Anadolu via Getty Images

Once again I ask: Do presidential elections really matter?

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?

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Martin Luther King Jr.

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.

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Understanding ‘logos’: The power of words

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.

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"Latinos for Trump" sign

A "Latinos for Trump" campaign sign posted in Houston.

Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Latino men help Donald Trump return to the White House

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.

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