Dr. Peters talked about the political polarization that has occurred. Political polarization did not start with the 2016 election — it’s been gaining momentum for over 20 years.
He talked about the rancor and divisiveness that has been on display in recent years and how polarization may have reached its worst level in the United States since the Civil War. With graphs shown from the Pew Research Center, the political polarization in the United States from 1994 to 2019 showed the partisan gap has increased hugely with very little ideological overlay. Little of this information was surprising to Dr. Peters or the Johnston Rotary members. There is general agreement that this situation needs to change.
Their approach is to reduce political polarization in the United States by bringing liberals and conservatives together to understand each other beyond stereotypes, forming red/blue community alliances, teaching practical skills for communicating across political differences, and making a strong public argument for depolarization.
More information can be found at Better-Angels.org to learn more about Better Angels and how to become a sustaining member. Better AngelsIowa.org gives Iowa information about their work, upcoming events and how to support the Iowa Outreach Project.