Events

We're Back in Nashville!

This month we'll be doing the in-person meeting in Nashville again! We'll try to have a Nashville meeting once every 3 months going forward.

The meeting will start at 5:15 Central / 6:15 Eastern (15 minutes later than usual) to give Nashville folks time to make the commute.

Finding Agreement on Keystone Issues

A "Keystone Issue" is the most important issue on which you base your political affiliation.

Some of the most common keystone issues are abortion, the second amendment, and tax policy. 

These issues are so important that many people will vote for the party that represents their view on this issue, even if they disagree on others. For many "single issue voters" they are the only issue they consider when voting.

For this month's meeting, we'll start by sharing our Keystone Issues with the group. Then, we'll break into small groups to see how many points of agreement we can find on these issues.

This exercise is based on the Finding Agreement Braver Angels Game. Here's how to play:

1. Break into groups of 4-6 with some reds and blues in each

2. Assign each group one of the "Keystone Issues" shared in the introductions

3. Any member of the group can propose a "resolution" about their issue

4. A resolution is adopted if all members of the group agree with the statement

5. Adopt at least 3 resolutions in the time allotted, or more if you can

6. Pick a member who will share your resolutions with the other groups at the end of the exercise

For example, if your issue is "Gun Control" you might propose a resolution "Universal background checks should be required to purchase firearms" and if all of the group members agree with this resolution, add it to your list. If not, discuss how it could be amended to gain unanimous acceptance, or propose another one if it turns out to be too divisive.

The goal of this game is to see how many ways that we agree with each other on issues that are often seen as divisive, as well as get some practice in how we can make compromises to build a broader consensus.

Agenda

1. Welcome and recite the Braver Angels Way.

2. Report from the Braver Angels National Conference from those who attended.

3. What is your Keystone Issue? Introduce yourself, name your Keystone Issue, and briefly describe the reason it is important to you.

4. Break into small groups to play the Finding Agreement game.

5. Share your resolutions and discuss what you learned from the exercise.