Thanks for the positive message! As a former state legislator, I was curious about the statistic from Colorado, because roll call votes are usually not a random sampling of votes, but a cherry picked set generally selected to highlight differences. It was interesting that Colorado seems to have voting records on all bills, so no voice votes, and therefore it's a solid statistic. But more interesting was that the story's headline was lamenting the drop in bipartisanship from the high of >95% before the pandemic... the percentage of votes (on bills that became law) that were NOT bipartisan has actually more than doubled in recent years. Just means we have even more opportunities for cooperation in 2026!
Thanks for checking the statistics in detail! I suppose this isn't quite the success story I had hoped, if things have gotten worse. Still, I think the general point that local politics aren't as gridlocked as national politics holds, and perhaps shows us a way forward.
Thanks for bringing to my attention! The reason it feels like a success is because, in general, there isn't as much non-cooperative partisanship as the media would have us believe. Congress may be on the far end of the spectrum, but as the article shows, most of the stuff that institutions get done is done cooperatively. Like, 9-0 Supreme Court rulings are quite common. But no controversy, no story...
One of my experiments in bridge building is that I joined our local chapters of Rotary and Lion's Club. I am seeing that these local organizations, that already have chapters all over the world, can be forces for action and social connection. A few examples from my local groups:
Working with the local Community Resource Center. We are creating an 8 session cooking class for Elementary and Middle School students that culminates with them cooking a meal for their parents. And, to raise money for the project, we are throwing a Salsa and Swing dance party. https://events.humanitix.com/crc-salsa-and-swing-fundraiser
We do library readings of old radio shows, inviting the community to both participate and listen.
We have created quite a few awards programs for elementary, middle school, and high school students that have the students focus on local issues and local solutions. Here is an interview with one of the high school kids: https://youtu.be/lOBTL0qIMLg
Maybe we can encourage more people to seek out these clubs. They are fun, they build community, and they initiate social action.
Thanks for the positive message! As a former state legislator, I was curious about the statistic from Colorado, because roll call votes are usually not a random sampling of votes, but a cherry picked set generally selected to highlight differences. It was interesting that Colorado seems to have voting records on all bills, so no voice votes, and therefore it's a solid statistic. But more interesting was that the story's headline was lamenting the drop in bipartisanship from the high of >95% before the pandemic... the percentage of votes (on bills that became law) that were NOT bipartisan has actually more than doubled in recent years. Just means we have even more opportunities for cooperation in 2026!
Thanks for checking the statistics in detail! I suppose this isn't quite the success story I had hoped, if things have gotten worse. Still, I think the general point that local politics aren't as gridlocked as national politics holds, and perhaps shows us a way forward.
Thanks for bringing to my attention! The reason it feels like a success is because, in general, there isn't as much non-cooperative partisanship as the media would have us believe. Congress may be on the far end of the spectrum, but as the article shows, most of the stuff that institutions get done is done cooperatively. Like, 9-0 Supreme Court rulings are quite common. But no controversy, no story...
One of my experiments in bridge building is that I joined our local chapters of Rotary and Lion's Club. I am seeing that these local organizations, that already have chapters all over the world, can be forces for action and social connection. A few examples from my local groups:
Working with the local Community Resource Center. We are creating an 8 session cooking class for Elementary and Middle School students that culminates with them cooking a meal for their parents. And, to raise money for the project, we are throwing a Salsa and Swing dance party. https://events.humanitix.com/crc-salsa-and-swing-fundraiser
We do library readings of old radio shows, inviting the community to both participate and listen.
We have created quite a few awards programs for elementary, middle school, and high school students that have the students focus on local issues and local solutions. Here is an interview with one of the high school kids: https://youtu.be/lOBTL0qIMLg
Maybe we can encourage more people to seek out these clubs. They are fun, they build community, and they initiate social action.
Thanks for this. Rebuilding local community is a key part of rebuilding a better society, so I'm really glad to hear these stories.