Our benefactor, Jack Murdock, believed deeply in this country and longed to see engaged communities using the democratic process to serve the common good. For this reason, the Murdock Trust supports organizations working to strengthen civic engagement and catalyze greater flourishing for all. In these efforts, we have been pleased to partner with the Rodel Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to strengthening democracy and improving the quality of public leadership in the United States.
“The core of a functioning democracy is the belief that people with very different values and beliefs can come together and have a rational conversation about the public good,” says John Kroger, executive director of the Rodel Institute. “That’s under great tension in the United States today. We have a tendency to fall into two polarized camps that are increasingly only able to talk with their own camp.”
To address this growing divide, the Rodel Institute convenes judges and elected officials to have honest conversations about their values. While the Rodel Institute has been doing this work nationally for two decades with profound impact, in 2023 the Murdock Trust had an opportunity to support an initiative in the state of Washington that convened 22 elected leaders for nine days of conversation and connection.
“They were Democrats and Republicans. They were – perhaps more important in the state of Washington – from east of the Cascade Mountains and west of the Cascade Mountains, [there] to explore their values, to explore where they saw common ground, and to come to a better understanding of what unites them, not just what divides them,” said Kroger.
In three 3-day sessions, these leaders engaged in hours of focused discussion around shared texts. They had honest conversations in workshops around challenges in their work and shared experiences in public life. And – a surprisingly impactful part of the process – they shared every meal together, getting to know one another not just as public figures but as fellow humans with hobbies, families, fears, and dreams.
From these conversations, two things stood out to Kroger. The first was that the leaders hardly knew one another at a personal level – even those who worked together daily. The second was that there can be profound gaps in understanding between those working at a city and county level, and those working at a state level. This is what makes the initiative’s regional focus critical.
“In many cases, [as a result of these conversations] party members from both sides of the political spectrum have agreed to work together jointly on legislation that advances community interests,” said Kroger. “They’ve done that because they’ve recognized that even though there’s a partisan divide, there’s a lot of shared political values.”
Looking ahead, the Rodel Institute intends to offer follow-up programs in the state of Washington and other states, continuing to deepen their regional impact. In all of this work, the goal is not to change political opinions or force agreement, but to promote civility and help leaders align their actions with their values for the greater good.
“For me, the high points are when people who have gone through our program are in positions of significant power in both political parties and are able to work in a way which is not necessarily more moderate or more bipartisan, but is more principled and thoughtful.”
To learn more about the Rodel Institute, visit their website.