Colorado State University

November 15, 2023

Colorado Politics

Political division has long been a staple of the American experiment in representative democracy, but a Pew Research revealed just how deep the polarization trended in the last several years. 

“Increasingly, Republicans and Democrats view not just the opposing party but also the people in that party in a negative light,” Pew Research noted. “Growing shares in each party now describe those in the other party as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent than other Americans.”

Against this backdrop, two seasoned politicians from the country’s two major parties seek to offer – not necessarily a remedy – but perhaps a way to get there.

Or, at the least, to keep the conversation going.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, insist it’s not just laudable but also possible to work through incessant differences in order to find solutions to America’s most difficult problems.

How, exactly? 

Disagree better, according to Cox and Polis, who serve as chair and as vice chair of the National Governors Association, respectively.  

“And by that we don’t mean that we need to be nicer to each other, although that’s helpful,” Cox wrote in introducing the association’s “Disagree Better” initiative. “We need to learn to disagree in a way that allows us to find solutions and solve problems instead of endlessly bickering.”

Polis and Cox, in effect, seek to rescue American politics from its worst tendencies, hoping that, in debates, service projects, and other tactics, Americans would see a “more positive and optimistic way of working through our problems.”

To demonstrate their point, the two governors are holding a special conversation on Nov. 15 at the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University Fort Collins. CSU President Amy Parsons will moderate the discussion.

The event – which CSU, the National Governors Association, and Colorado Politics are sponsoring – is open to the public. To attend, register here: https://www.research.colostate.edu/govs-cox-polis/.  

In launching “Disagree Better,” Polis and Cox also hope to put into practice the principles underpinning the initiative, and start solving challenges. 

In a video Polis and Cox recorded to promote “Disagree Better,” the two illustrated how polarization has seeped into family dinners, turning what typically are joyous occasions into heated, emotionally-draining back and forth, often over politics.

“Maybe you’re the one with the strong opinions,” Polis said in the video. “There’s a healthy way to deal with conflicting opinions. Actually, it’s OK to disagree.”

“It’s not just OK,” Cox interjected. “It’s crucial. … Healthy disagreement means not assuming that the other side is deluded, misinformed or actively trying to overthrow America.” 

The two governors said that approach might just yet “save your family dinners.”