If we don’t need 2021 to be a repeat of 2020, we recommend listening respectfully and acknowledging we might by no means see eye to eye on the final election.

Anxious that 2021 might be full of cringe-worthy political conversations across the digital dinner desk and, post-pandemic, in actual life? Dreading the second that an outspoken neighbor, work colleague or member of the family pops off? Properly, the 2 of us — one a card-carrying liberal and the opposite a self-avowed conservative — simply survived 13 weeks of hour-long political conversations, twice every week each week. And get this: We truly loved it.  

When the Politics Division on the College of Virginia requested us to co-teach “Election 2020,” we weren’t positive how it could end up. We didn’t know one another effectively, and our backgrounds couldn’t be extra totally different. One in every of us was a tenured professor who had taught a campaigns and elections class each 4 years since 2000 (Lawless), the opposite an adjunct professor who had solely been instructing for a 12 months (Cary).

One had run for Congress as a Democrat in 2006 (Lawless); the opposite had been a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush (Cary). One in every of us has served on the board of Deliberate Parenthood (Lawless); the opposite was once deputy communications director on the Republican Nationwide Committee (Cary). Our class can be one of many solely faculty programs in America to be taught by a liberal and a conservative aspect by aspect. It was both a superb pairing or a catastrophe ready to occur. 

Embracing our totally different factors of view

In designing the course, we determined to embrace our disparate backgrounds and political beliefs. Moderately than masks our politics and current ourselves as dispassionate, nonpartisan observers, we informed the scholars the place we stood and promised to current a number of views. And all through the course — which coated the Structure, the Electoral School, third events, debates and conventions, polling, media protection, ladies’s underrepresentation, race and politics, voter turnout, presidential transitions, the record goes on — we caught to our promise. Alternating between lectures and visitor audio system, we assembled a mixture of political science scholarship, information protection, political commentary and consultants from either side of the aisle.  

Quickly sufficient, we realized we have been onto one thing. Granted, it’s onerous for a category to flub when the consultants who Zoomed in included Bush marketing campaign supervisor Karl Rove, former ABC Information White Home correspondent Ann Compton, Obama coverage adviser Melody Barnes, Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg, No Labels co-founder Ron Christie and journalist Molly Ball.  

The civility that accompanied the political debate and dialogue included in each session was notable, too. When one in every of us disagreed with the opposite’s lecture content material, we’d launch right into a section we referred to as “She Stated/She Stated,” and respectfully rebut the opposite’s factors. When our visitor audio system made claims or supplied analyses that flew within the face of what we believed, we requested questions and engaged them in additional dialogue. We made some extent of doing so with out calling names, elevating our voices or making ethical judgments.  

That’s to not say, in fact, that we by no means wanted to chunk our tongues or suppress a watch roll. We didn’t sit round singing “Kumbaya.” However a lot to our shock, we often discovered ourselves agreeing with one another. We realized that we each consider it’s very important for younger individuals to become involved in politics. We each assume it’s unlucky that misinformation is so prevalent within the political area. We each ponder whether political conventions, candidate debates and political TV adverts are going to go the way in which of the rotary dial cellphone. We each discover Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, extraordinarily good-looking. And we each assume it’s important to inject extra civility and respect in our politics. 

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We weren’t alone on that final one. When Democratic debate prep man Bob Barnett and RNC website choice chair Ron Kaufman joined us for a dialogue about debates and conventions, they first identified what good pals they’ve been for years. Former Reps. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., and L.F. Payne, D-Va., did the identical previous to discussing the causes and penalties of political polarization. Marketing campaign strategists James Carville and Mary Matalin demonstrated that their political divisions weren’t practically as robust as their 27 years of marriage. None of our audio system modified one another’s minds, however they exemplified that’s it potential to hear, be taught from and even like somebody with whom you strongly disagree.    

Tough spots and rave opinions 

In no way do we predict that placing a liberal and a conservative within the entrance of the classroom is all it would take to make sure that the subsequent technology brings somewhat extra civility to politics. Even in our class, college students sometimes behaved disrespectfully to company and to one another on the Zoom chat field. A number of conservative college students shared with us that they felt outnumbered and, thus, have been reluctant to ask questions and make feedback. And attendance at our separate workplace hours usually sorted out alongside get together strains.   

On the final day of sophistication, we polled our 223 college students about their expertise. A whopping 9 out of 10 college students mentioned they’d wish to see extra Politics programs co-taught by a liberal and a conservative (this even though roughly 80% of the category recognized as Democrats). We additionally noticed rave opinions for the visitor audio system and the range of viewpoints they represented. This unusually inclusive, bipartisan studying surroundings would possibly repay: 85% of the scholars mentioned they plan to become involved in politics sooner or later — both as candidates themselves or in political or coverage jobs.    

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The scholars weren’t the one ones to be taught one thing throughout the semester. As has been the case for therefore many individuals, 2020 was particularly tough for every of us on a private stage — instructing a brand new digital course, a nerve-racking election season, COVID-19 considerations. We every additionally endured the tragic loss of life of a sibling. Many occasions, our weekly cellphone calls to plan lectures and determine visitor audio system changed into downloads about balancing all of it and supporting one another. Satirically, Election 2020 — probably the most partisan and divisive in fashionable historical past — helped a liberal and a conservative forge a friendship that has nothing to do with politics. 

If we don’t need 2021 to be a risky repeat of 2020, possibly the teachings we realized this semester can apply. Attempt to hear respectfully, invite a wide range of viewpoints into the dialogue, and acknowledge that it’s unlikely you’ll ever see eye to eye on hot-button points or the final election. You would possibly even get pleasure from your self. 

Jennifer L. Lawless (@jenlawlessUVA) is the Commonwealth Professor of Politics on the College of Virginia and the creator/co-author of six books, together with “Working from Workplace: Why Younger People Are Turned Off to Politics.” Mary Kate Cary (@mkcary) is an adjunct professor within the Politics Division on the College of Virginia and a senior fellow at UVA’s Miller Heart.   

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