Our Take On Common Ground

Written by: Common Ground Committee
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  • Summary

  • How can we make progress toward healing political divides? Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Common Ground Committee is influencing this movement by tuning in as our co-founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen discuss areas of opportunity, legislators and peers who are doing good work, and reasons for hope on the nation’s most timely and pressing issues.
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Political Science
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Episodes
  • What We Learned From "The Abortion Talks"

    What We Learned From "The Abortion Talks"
    Aug 7 2023
    For many Americans abortion is a matter of deep personal conviction. These people are not open to compromise. Both sides of the debate often find it very difficult to meet with or even respect those on the other side. But that's exactly what a small group of six women did. Three leaders of the pro-choice movement and three from the pro-life movement met privately over six years to talk about abortion after two murders occurred at abortion clinics in Massachusetts in 1994. None of the participants would change their minds, but the dialogues did change their lives. In this episode, Common Ground Committee co-founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen share their thoughts about our recent "Let's Find Common Ground" podcast interview with Frances Hogan and Rev. Anne Fowler. Both women took part in the talks and are featured in the new documentary, "The Abortion Talks". They explained why the talks were often intense, passionate and profoundly difficult.  You're invited to Common Ground Committee's special online free screening of the film. Sign up today at common ground committee.org to get access to the film between August 5th and August 12th. You can also learn about the film's conversation guide.
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    16 mins
  • Rising Interest in the Common Ground Scorecard

    Rising Interest in the Common Ground Scorecard
    Apr 14 2023
    Seeking common ground and reaching out to the other side may play a greater role in next year's election than in previous years. During a recent visit to Washington, Common Ground Committee co-founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen noted increased interest in the Common Ground Scorecard among Members of Congress and their staff. "There's definitely from a polarization perspective more interest in getting away from that in the upcoming election," said Bruce Bond in this episode. Erik Olsen says that during meetings with Members of Congress, "they are very interested in representing themselves as bipartisan." We also focus on findings of a recent survey that found two-thirds of voters said they would be considering the degree to which a candidate worked with members of the other party as a factor in their voting decisions. Separate research conducted for the anti-polarization movement Starts With Us, is also discussed. A recent study found that seven Members of Congress with the lowest numbers on the Scorecard received much more news media coverage than those with the highest scores.
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    12 mins
  • Building Common Ground in Washington DC and Beyond

    Building Common Ground in Washington DC and Beyond
    Feb 23 2023
    America is often described by the news media as being hopelessly divided between two opposing camps that hate each other. But not only is the reality among everyday citizens very different, in Washington DC itself politicians, non-profit groups, and several leading journalists are highlighting new efforts to find common ground. In episode 5, Bruce and Erik discuss their recent trip to Washington, where they met with Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox to learn more about his plans to work across the political aisle. Governor Cox was elected as Vice Chair of the National Governors Association and plans to put a special focus on depolarization and furthering bipartisan policy solutions. At a separate venue, they sat down with three other leading players in the bridging space: David Blankenhorn co-founder of Braver Angels, Keith Allred of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, and journalist Amanda Ripley who has written extensively about conflict. Also in this episode: Erik and Bruce also share their take on President Biden's State of the Union Address and the Republican response.
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    14 mins

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