Research, online program designed to help government admins bridge political divide
From confronting threats of physical violence to negotiating politically driven debates over local issues at town halls and school committee meetings, city and county administrators are facing the challenge of a generation—an ever-increasing political divide. Over the last five years, especially, political polarization has ripped a chasm at all levels of government, from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to small towns across the nation.
A new study published Tuesday by the Government Finance Officers’ Association (GFOA) and the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), a non-profit that helps people of different perspectives to find common ground, shows that an online program, Perspectives, which is offered by the dialogue institute, can decrease polarization in local government. Researchers concluded via a randomized controlled trial of participants that “governments can leverage these practical tools to strengthen collaboration and repair fissures in local government,” according to a statement about the findings. Participants who completed the program were better able to recognize the limits of their own knowledge, become more open to the viewpoints of others, view people holding different beliefs with less animosity and more warmth, and think about potentially divisive issues in a more nuanced way.
“These positive outcomes demonstrate that partisan division is not beyond repair,” said Mylien Duong, Ph.D., senior director of research at the Constructive Dialogue Institute. “We have low-cost, accessible tools at our fingertips that can change how we think about politics, our differences, approaching community challenges, and engaging with each other in all aspects of life.”
The most recent study builds on an earlier report published this year by the two organizations. That research unpacks the psychology behind social divides via the Moral Foundations Theory, which the Perspectives course also relies on. The Moral Foundations Theory, which was first proposed by psychologists Jonathan Haidt and Craig Joseph in 2004, theorizes that a particular political ideology is derived from an individual’s perspectives on six moral foundations.
“Like people’s taste buds and taste preferences, different cultures and people within these cultures have the same ‘taste buds’ for morality; however, they often have different preferences,” the earlier report reads. “People all use the same six moral foundations: care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority, and sanctity. However, they draw on them in different ways and to different degrees to form specific moral worldviews. The way in which we rely on these foundations shapes our core values and worldview.”
In practical application, the theory concludes that “Liberals tend to place less value on sanctity, authority, and loyalty and more value on care, fairness and liberty,” whereas “Conservatives tend to value all foundations similarly.”
Given this, the organizations recommend methods administrators can use to enhance cooperation and span the political divide within local government, such as by crafting messages designed for constituents who hold different values.
“Conservatives are more likely to support pro-environmental policies when the policies are framed from the perspective of sanctity/degradation (e.g., “The environment has become contaminated, and we must keep the Earth pure and clean”) rather than care/harm (e.g., “People are causing destruction to the world, and we need to care about and protect the environment”),” the report says. “On the other hand, liberals are more likely to support military spending when presented with arguments focused on fairness (i.e., emphasizing the military’s role in helping overcome income inequality and racial discrimination) rather than authority and loyalty (i.e., emphasizing American patriotism and superpower status).”
Besides taking the Perspectives course, which is comprised of of eight 30-minute lessons that integrate psychological concepts with interactive scenarios, the report outlines steps local administrators can take to span the political divide: First, “‘Know thyself’ is ancient wisdom from across many different cultures. Consider taking the Moral Foundations test at yourmorals.org.” Then, recognize moral foundations at play in policy conflicts. Next, look for opportunities to show someone how their preferred moral taste can be accommodated within policy arguments. Separate goals from strategies, and finally, bring together the best of both liberal and conservative perspectives to create new ideas.
Given the state of politics, researchers stressed the importance of putting in work to bridge divides.
“Local leaders can make a shift now with minimal time and resources. By learning about their own moral foundations, recognizing the moral foundations in policy conflicts, and reframing goals and strategies, they can put our democracy back on track and better serve their communities,” said Chris Morrill, director of the Government Finance Officers’ Association in a statement.