About us
Civil, respectful conversation with people with different political views?
Yes, it is possible. We’re doing it and you can, too.
Crossing Party Lines is YOUR brave space to meet and talk with people you disagree with and may not even understand. You might have fun!
Our events include:
- DISCUSSIONS: We meet as small groups where you can talk to real people about the issues that divide us. Share your unique insights, encounter new perspectives and new ways of looking at the world, and experience what it's like to feel heard and understood.
You'll find that it is possible to disagree in a way that leaves you feeling true to yourself and your beliefs without losing your friends or your cool.
- WORKSHOPS: We teach the skills you need to effectively talk across differences. You will learn ways to foster curiosity and invite listening, acquire strategies for overcoming common communication barriers, and develop the confidence to talk politics with people you know, live, and work with.
- COMMUNITY EVENTS: We’re not just about talking – we’re also about community. We host game nights, screen videos, share books, and offer many other ways of connecting across differences.
At all events, trained facilitators set the tone of the discussion and help the group build trust. Come see what civil, respectful conversation is like. Who knows, you might make friends with someone you disagree with!
More about Crossing Party Lines:
We are a national nonprofit with chapters in eight states. Because we believe that the success of America’s unique democracy relies on the diversity of our viewpoints, we encourage people of all political views and parties to join and participate.
Come learn, explore, practice, and grow with us. Join this grassroots movement and become the change in your community.
Note: Due to COVID, most of our events are online. Unless otherwise stated, events are open to all Crossing Party Lines chapters, giving you a chance to interact with people from all over the country.
Upcoming events
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Workshop: Moral Foundations Theory
·OnlineOnlineWORKSHOP: Moral Foundations Theory – CPL 300
Moral Foundations Theory provides a framework for exploring moral decision making in a civil and respectful way. In this workshop we apply this framework to talking politics.
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Attendees: Before the meeting, please download and print the handouts, which are located on this page: https://crossingpartylines.com/using-moral-foundations-theory-in-political-conversations/****************Workshop Description**************************
We begin by discussing each of the six foundations and getting a taste of how they can manifest differently in different people. This leads to exploring some of the tensions intrinsic within the foundations themselves, which opens the door to moving from the moral/immoral dichotomy to an appreciation of how interacting with people who are differently moral to us leads to a more nuanced view of any issue and eventually to better solutions.
The second half of this workshop introduces techniques designed to help you:
- Recognize the moral underpinnings of your own views
- Listen for indications that one or more of the six moral foundations is at play
- Bring morality in a discussion in a non confrontational way
Pre-read Material
Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives (https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_the_moral_roots_of_liberals_and_conservatives?language=en)
Can a divided America heal? | Jonathan Haidt (https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_can_a_divided_america_heal?language=en)ABOUT CPL Workshops
Get the training you need to effectively cross party lines. Crossing Party Lines provides a series of FREE classes teaching the skills we use to talk across differences. We teach proven, science-based techniques to foster curiosity, invite listening, and connect across differences.
We designed these techniques based on recent discoveries in such fields as cognitive science, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Because understanding the partisan brain is central to the work of Crossing Party Lines, our workshops cover both the skills and some of the basic science behind them.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on:
• Instagram @crossingpartylines (Instagram.com/crossingpartylines)
• Twitter @crosspartylines (Twitter.com/CrossPartyLines)
• Facebook @crossingpartylines (Facebook.com/crossingpartylines)4 attendees
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Are We Testing the Boundaries?
·OnlineOnline##### Capitalism vs. Socialism: Are We Testing the Boundaries?
Pre-reads
Socialism definition
Capitalism and socialism are often presented as opposing economic systems, yet in practice their ideas and policies frequently overlap. People across the political spectrum differ not only in their views of these systems, but also in how they define them and recognize them at work in everyday life.At this meeting, we’ll explore how people understand capitalism and socialism, how these systems—or elements of them—show up in different countries and policies, and how they shape lived experience. Rather than debating labels, we’ll focus on how economic systems influence daily life, opportunity, and tradeoffs.
We’ll explore questions such as:
- How do you understand the differences between capitalism and socialism?
- Where do you see elements of capitalism or socialism showing up in everyday life?
- What countries come to mind when you think of capitalist or socialist systems, and why?
- How, in your view, do these systems approach ideas like freedom, risk, reward, and shared responsibility?
- How do you see economic systems shaping daily life for individuals and families?
Before this meeting, please take a few minutes to watch the videos below, which explain
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrmimbzkSAg
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdfru9NHGvE
This conversation will offer an opportunity to explore different perspectives and engage respectfully on how economic systems—and the ideas behind them—shape daily life.
Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Follow us on:
- Instagram @crossingpartylines
- Twitter @crosspartylines
- Facebook @crossingpartylines
4 attendees
Past events
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