There Is Actually Some Good News Out of Our National Division

By Patricia Duff and Tom Rogers

The Common Good founder; Newsweek editor-at-large

In the midst of our nation's relentless political tug-of-war, 'tis the season to unwrap a surprising dose of holiday cheer. Beneath the cacophony of partisan clashes, a flicker of hope is emerging. The happy news comes from The Common Good, a non-partisan group championing for reasoned political dialogue and better governance. Its annual Survey on National Division conducted by Emerson College Polling aims to measure how divided we are, illuminate the causes, and reveal possible cures for our seemingly insurmountable political schisms.

And here's the twist: the results aren't all doom and gloom. In fact, they hand us a silver lining, suggesting that our deep-seated differences might not be as immovable as they appear.

According to The Common Good survey, a whopping 86 percent of respondents believe that those on the other side of the political fence are, at the very least, "good and honest people." And 46 percent actually think this is true "often" or "always." That's right, folks; beneath the surface of our heated debates, there's more goodwill than one would think even toward those with whom we disagree.

But wait, there's more. The survey reveals that a staggering number of folks—almost three-quarters (71 percent) of citizens—prefer compromise to governmental paralysis. Americans are signaling that their elected officials should sit down with the opposition and hash out solutions – even if it means not getting everything they want. It's truly a breath of fresh air in a room polluted by the smoke and smog of unyielding partisanship.

Read the Full Article by Patricia Duff and Tom Rogers Here

Newsweek: One Key Way to Stop Donald Trump From Being Our Next President | Opinion

By Tom Rogers and Susan Del Percio

Independents or non-affiliated voters are not being counted enough in primaries – and this is a big problem – especially for 2024. The Common Good Index on National Division indicates that 88% of Americans believe the way political parties choose candidates is an important contributor to national division. We need to fix our primary system.

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Last fall The Common Good, a nonpartisan organization, released The Common Good Index of National Division, an annual index which quantifies the level of national division. The findings indicated "88 percent believe the way political parties choose candidates is an important contributor to national division. Twenty-five percent of Americans place that at the top of the list of things that most divide us.

The problem with non-affiliated voters is that their participation in partisan primaries is extremely low despite the impact their numbers could have if they were driven to vote.

Read the full article by Tom Rogers and Susan Del Percio here.