Recommended Resources for Nonpartisan Politics

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• Rebel Wisdom discusses getting past filter bubbles and tribalism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1l7zZjYRhw
• An organization promoting discussion https://www.revivecivility.org/  
• An organization promoting  discourse and nonpartisan governmental reforms www.thepeople.org 
• An organization promoting civility in schools www.culturesofdignity.com
• Podcast "Why it's worth listening to people you disagree with" by Zachary R. Wood  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630?i=1000409279564
• Micheal Austin, a university administrator, chose as a title to his new book a line from a presidential address by Lincoln, "We must not be enemies," with the subtitle Restoring America's Civic Tradition. He insists that the world doesn't need any more books detailing who is destroying democracy. He calls not for politeness but for better quality of dialog along with better intentions.
• How Liberals Can Communicate Across the Great Divide https://www.newsociety.com/Books/B/Beyond-Contempt 
• Offers several ways for a dignified discussion of "the polarities too often promoted during our 24-hour news cycle" http://www.couragerenewal.org/actioncircles/

An organization discussing broken system serving special interests: uniteamerica.org

Julian Zelizer on Polarization and U.S. History: Half Hour of Heterodoxy podcast #48 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/half-hour-of-heterodoxy/id1279409241?mt=2&i=1000430240986 

This podcast discusses the long-standing duopoly and propose three election reforms:

• non-partisan single-ballot primaries with the top 4 advancing (current system favors the most extreme partisans)
• ranked-choice voting (candidates have to appeal to a larger pool of voters and prevents “spoiler” argument)
• non-partisan redistricting (end gerrymandering)

#356 from Freakonomics Radio https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000422968221

More on election reform https://represent.us/

Syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker  declared herself an independent and stated “it’s time to denounce the harsh partisans who feed on polarization. It’s time to give independents a voice.”  She received the Pulitzer Prize for her political and moral commentary. https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20190222/our-political-identity-needs-to-be-american-first

An educational website that has a "Summary of the Great Debate and Value Tensions"

• unity vs. diversity: one nation with a variety of cultures, ethnicities, and religions
• private wealth vs. common wealth: our labor and skills earn us individual resources, but we also pool resources for the common good
• law vs. ethics: we value rule of law, at the same time recognizing sometimes a law is unjust
• freedom vs. equality: total freedom allows some to trample rights and impose inequality, while total equality inhibits individual rights

from page 3 of a literacy activity 

• the main collection for nonpartisan stories 
• poverty: how to give a fishing lesson
• wealth: a positive perspective
• capitalism
• the pursuit of happiness
• democracy and conflict

It is important to draw attention to thinkers who are taking on cultural and political hot topics intelligently and without demonizing some other position than their own. This is just a start.

• As a sociologist, Brene Brown has done ground-breaking work. She defies categorization, having grown up some in rural Texas and some in New Orleans. She has spoken often to the military, championing them in her writings, while making a case for a more tolerant compassionate approach to relationships.  https://brenebrown.com/blog/2018/05/17/dehumanizing-always-starts-with-language/
• As a medical doctor, Scott Alexander blogs about medicine but also about politics "from a vaguely centrist point of view with occasional forays to the right or left." He digs deep into political theory from as balanced a perspective as can be found. https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage/ (to get to the part that matches the title, go to section V.)
• David Brooks, a New York Times Op-Ed columnist, described as center-right, writes about politics, culture, and the social sciences. He is executive director of the Aspen Institute with a mission "to spearhead a bold new project aimed at bridging the differences that divide Americans and seeking out a compelling common ground." https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/opinion/cory-booker-2020.html
• Jordan Peterson on podcast #1208 explains the positive guidance young white males are looking for,  ethics of the right, and the upside of hierarchy and competition. Culturally he has been linked to the alt right. The discussion is a respectful one.  https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-joe-rogan-experience/e/55166730

Videos

• a feminist who learned to respect the men's rights movement
• a black man who attends KKK rallies

If you know of or have a resource like those above that you'd like us to consider adding to the list, send a note to impersoNation6@gmail.com