I grew up in Central New Jersey in the late 90s/early 00s. And for whatever reason, talking about politics and policy was incredibly normal. It’s possible this was due to being born into a conservative family that lived in a liberal state. Or perhaps it had something to do with the politically engaged teachers I knew. Or maybe the times were different. Regardless, I was never afraid to offer a policy prescription or political position. That’s not some credit to me; that was the norm for the kids I grew up with.

Somewhere along the way, we lost the ability to talk about our different political conclusions without demonizing the other side. In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, there were endless calls for moderated language. Those calls have already faded, and we’ve seen a return to catastrophic language in our political discourse.

This is why the Pluralist Labs that the Mercatus Center sponsors are so important. Pluralist Labs are conversations between people with divergent political viewpoints, usually college students. We bring a small group together to discuss topics ranging from crime to immigration to education. I had the chance to facilitate one of these conversations last Friday and listened to progressives, conservatives, and libertarians talk about policy with dignity and respect.

The group I met with had students, young professionals, and even some mid-career folks. We talked about crime and education, but the spicier conversations happened over a meal together while drinking too many Diet Cokes. The participants referenced Marx, Hobbes, Nietzsche, and Adam Smith. People who couldn’t agree on almost any worldview suppositions were eager to learn more about the other side. It felt so similar to the countless conversations I had in my younger years. I was surprised at how much curiosity there was from a progressive to learn about a conservative’s religiously influenced worldview and vice-versa.

If these kinds of conversations interest you, you can see examples in the documentary UNDIVIDE US. If you want to attend a Pluralist Lab or host one, reach out to Martha Anderson at [email protected] or reply to this email.