Over the past several years, we have seen relationships fracture along the lines of political differences. Hardworking Americans of all stripes have lost friends and family because they don’t vote the same way, believe in the same things, or talk about issues the same way. At Living Room Conversations, we believe in providing a way to talk about politics. It isn’t about changing anyone’s opinion. It is about celebrating the diversity of viewpoints of Americans and how our country is stronger not in spite of our political differences, but because of them.

We have created this resource page as a vehicle for beginning to have tough conversations on political issues. Whether it is grappling with what it really means to be an American, the impact of political stereotypes in our lives, or the role that money plays in politics, Living Room Conversations has created a guide to get you started.

In addition, making sure that people that do the political conversations pay attention to political balance is a key part of our polarization work.  Political diversity is essential to some conversations. Especially with polarized topics, we encourage you to take extra care to include people who hold different political views. Engaging only with people who hold similar views can lead to further entrenchment of our own beliefs and more polarization.

One way to create political balance is to invite a friend with differing politics to co-host the conversation.   Each person invites two friends. When inviting guests, consider all kinds of differences – age, culture, political leaning, gender – what voices are you most interested to hear from? What voices might best enrich your conversation?