How the Constitution Helps Us to Disagree

Presenter: Meg Mott

Deliberation is the practice that holds our democracy together, but does it always lead to better decisions? When citizens only talk to like-minded citizens, the thinking gets stuck and the decisions tend to be more extreme. This presentation gives participants a chance to find new ways to think about a contentious issue using the basic principles of the Constitution: freedom of speech and due process. Instead of carving out one’s (predictable) position in the culture wars, we’ll look at the best arguments on a contentious issue from the view point of progressives, conservatives, and libertarians. By the end of the discussion, participants will have a greater understanding of how the Constitution can help us to foster political friendships.