It’s no secret that political polarization has become an everyday feature of American politics. Yet while many of the reasons for polarization are symptomatic in government, their effects are public and all too individual. How can you work to reduce political polarization? We’ll examine how to use dialogue to bring together people on opposite sides of issues to build understanding and engage with their political differences. The first four hours will focus on understanding how and why liberals and conservatives have different political commitments and values, the impact of community and culture on political beliefs, and the relationship between media and political identity. The last four hours will involve participant-planned and centered political dialogues. We’ll study social media feeds, Pew Research Center studies, research papers, and excerpts from Polarized, American Gridlock, Culture War?, and The Centrist Project. We’ll work in small groups and emphasize discussion with short pre-readings to begin discussion.