As families and friends gather for the holidays following a divisive election season, Bryant assistant professor of Political Science Tristan Hightower, Ph.D., argues that all is not lost for a country hoping to heal partisan wounds. While politics can divide us, politicians still push through bipartisan legislation that we can all agree on, Hightower, an expert in political polarization and special interest groups, notes.  

Below, Hightower shares how Americans can once again find common ground and be more open to political differences. After all, he suggests, if politicians of yesteryear could enforce the “no politics at the dinner party” rule, we can too.  

Politicians should bond outside of work: “It would be beneficial for politicians to cultivate a culture of off-the-record socialization. There was a time when members of Congress moved their families to Washington and participated in dinner parties and barbecues with people from both their party and the other party. Their families got to know each other, and they would travel on delegations together. We’ve lost a lot of that in recent years.  

With everything in the spotlight now, it puts pressure on politicians to constantly be in a ‘party’ mode of operation. Without the time to humanize and get to know the opposition, it is difficult to work together on moderate issues.”  

If politicians can come together, we can too: “According to most surveys, the public wants to get to a place where things are more moderate across the board. In practice, coming together is easier said than done. Salient issues (think: gun control, taxes, abortion) are salient for a reason; most people have a strong sense of a position being right or wrong in a zero-sum way. When half the country disagrees with the other half on an issue at the core of their identity, it’s difficult to come to the middle.  

It is important to remember, however, that Congress is incredibly collaborative. Bills pass largely on a bipartisan basis even today — a trend that’s been unchanged for decades. All is not lost, but there’s always room to improve.”  

Regardless of political affiliation, the new president will rely on special interest groups: “Candidates always talk about money in Washington, lobbyists, and how they’re going to dismantle special interest groups. Then, a couple of months into their presidency, they’re working with coalitions of interest groups.

Candidates are always going to say interest groups are bad, but — at the end of the day — they are going to need them. President Barack Obama was famous for his critique of special interests in politics. Very shortly after the election, however, he was working with the Human Rights Campaign to get legislation passed.”