What we're about

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 (4+)

WORKSHOP: Talking Politics – CPL 101

Network event

25 attendees from 11 groups hosting

Link visible for attendees

Civil, respectful discourse. Talking. Listening.

In CPL 101 we'll share the secrets of Talking Politics in a way that invites others to listen rather than dares them to defend against your ideas or shut you down.
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Attendees: Before the meeting, please download and print the handouts, which are located on this page: https://crossingpartylines.com/cpl-101-talking-politics/
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Talking politics refers to sharing your views in a way that supports dialogue instead of debate. Rather than the typical political speak we hear in the media and debates that is all about telling others how they should think, CPL’s approach to talking politics provides insight into why your political views make sense to you; it promotes curiosity, respect and connection and helps others understand how their views and yours can coexist without either of you being wrong or immoral.

But it is not easy, because we’re conditioned to defend our point of view rather than share it or share about ourselves. In this meetup we will practice skills that enable us to speak across our differences in a way that moves us all forward and deepens our understanding of where our views come from. We will explore strategies for overcoming communication barriers, and we will practice productive civil discourse.

There are no prerequisites for this workshop. All are welcome.
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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.
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Sign up here or at a chapter near you:
https://meetup.com/pro/CrossingPartyLines

We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Follow us on:
• Instagram @crossingpartylines (Instagram.com/crossingpartylines)
• Twitter @crosspartylines (Twitter.com/CrossPartyLines)
• Facebook @crossingpartylines (Facebook.com/crossingpartylines)

Local News: What's Its Value?

Network event

24 attendees from 11 groups hosting

Link visible for attendees

Our local newspapers have been disappearing - by some estimates, half of America’s counties have just one local news source with at least 5 percent having no local news at all. Combine that with buy-ups, mergers and acquisitions, it feels less and less like there’s any on-the-ground reporting in our neighborhoods.

But with social media, Google, and national publication giants, does it matter that there’s a smaller local news presence? What happens when there is no local news? What do we lose? And perhaps most importantly, is there anything we can do about it?

Join us as we share our views on the value of local news and whether there’s a means to restore and preserve it.

Bank Collapses: Who has to Pay?

Network event

1 attendee from 11 groups hosting

Link visible for attendees

The recent bank collapses have many of us turning our attention to our country’s banking system. While pundits are having a field day telling us what the government should have done and what we should be doing now, we’ll explore this topic from a more personal angle, asking what we, as individuals, want from a banking system. In the process, we’ll explore such additional questions as:

  • Are you in favor of a government agency being tasked with protecting our savings?

  • How do you feel about the Fed stepping in to take over the failing banks?

  • Would your response have been different if you were customers of those banks?

  • If you’re worried about the impact of these bank collapses on your own finances, what do you fear might happen?

Join this week's conversation as we lean into the questions recent bank collapses raise for us.

Environmental Policy: Benefits & Consequences

Network event

21 attendees from 11 groups hosting

Link visible for attendees

Our environment shapes our quality of life and similarly, our actions can impact the quality of our surroundings. When it comes to environmental policy initiatives however, this cause and effect relationship can be…complicated.

Whether it’s restrictions on buying halogen lightbulbs, using electric car rebates, or paying “green taxes,” we’ve all been directly impacted by one initiative or another. What may remain distinct however is our experiences - who has seen benefit and who has felt consequence?

Join us as we discuss the changes you’ve seen, both big and small. We’ll also look towards the future: What hopes or fears do future policy options bring?

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.

Sign up here or at a chapter near you:
- Atlanta, GA: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-GA-Atlanta
- Austin, TX: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-TX-Austin
- Chicago, IL: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-IL-Chicago
- Columbus, OH: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-OH-Columbus
- Mesa, AZ: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-AZ-Mesa
- New York City: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-NY
- Long Island: https://www.meetup.com/crossing-party-lines-ny-long-island/
- Portland, OR: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines
- Raleigh, NC: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-NC-Raleigh
- San Francisco Bay Area: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-CA-SanFrancisco
- Southern Oregon: https://www.meetup.com/Crossing-Party-Lines-OR-Medford

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

Past events (215)

Shared Values: Where Left and Right Align

This event has passed