Newsletter - August/September 2025

In my last newsletter I provided details about my work with Voice of the People and Braver Angels to pilot a framework for constructive engagement with our elected officials.

As I mentioned last month, a statistically representative group of voters in Northeast Ohio was provided background information on current spending and taxation levels, with arguments for and against a number of proposals. Leveraging the Braver Angels approach to civil discourse, the results of that survey were shared at a Braver Angels Northeast Ohio Alliance meeting on August 27.

Twenty-five Ohio residents attended the event. And a staff member from the office of Rep. Max Miller (OH-7) attended to listen to the Ohio residents. Attendees were pleasantly surprised at the level of bipartisan agreement on tax and spending recommendations. They found this approach to public consultation refreshing and felt that going through the policymaking simulation was very enlightening.

“As opposed to the original town hall model that often fails, this model is a beautiful example of a non-inflammatory way of bringing together people to discuss and advocate for real policy solutions,” voiced an attendee in the closing segment of the event.

The full survey findings and results of the in-person forum can be found here: vop.org/NEOhio

Over the next couple of months, we will be leveraging lessons learned from the event to expand this pilot to other congressional districts and other Braver Angels' local alliances. Other groups such as the Grand Bargain Project are launching similar efforts to engage citizens, with the objective of overcoming partisan gridlock and providing elected officials the cover they need to support bipartisan solutions to the difficult problems facing our country.

The exact approach to this type of constructive engagement will likely vary by Congressional district, and the prospect of success is uncertain at best. However, events like the one we just completed in Northeast Ohio provide me with hope that people are tired of partisan polarization and want a government that works for all of us.

I am about to embark on a much-needed vacation. Stay tuned for my next Speak for Good Government newsletter in October.

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Newsletter - July 2025

A core principle of good government is that our elected officials should be committed to problem solving through civil discourse and bipartisanship. Unfortunately, such a commitment remains elusive at best.

Fortunately, individuals and organizations are stepping in to do this hard work.

I am actively working with Voice of the People and Braver Angels to provide tax and spending recommendations to our U.S. representatives in Ohio's 7th and 13th Congressional districts. The 7th district is represented by Max Miller (R), who won his district with 51% of the vote. The 13th district is represented by Emilia Sykes (D), who won her district with 51% of the vote. Both districts are adjacent to each other, just south of Cleveland.

Leveraging methodology developed by the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation, a statistically representative group of voters is being provided background information on current spending and taxation levels, with arguments for and against a number of proposals. The results of this survey will be presented at a Forum for Northeast Ohio Braver Angels members on August 27. Congressional representatives and the media are also being invited. At the forum, we will discuss the results of the survey and we'll discuss the viability of this model for engaging constituents to partner with and inform the votes of their elected representatives.

Over the last two months, I have shared information about similar efforts across the country, and I will continue to share information and support this type of work going forward.

Party loyalty and the next election currently provide an overwhelming counterweight to what should matter most, listening to and working with constituents to promote civil discourse, and a good faith effort by our elected representatives to solve difficult problems in a way that accounts for the differing needs of all Americans.

I am hopeful that these disparate efforts can galvanize a movement that neutralizes the forces that are keeping us from constructively moving forward.

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Social media posts since my last newsletter:

• Bipartisan Policy Center report on the effect of open primaries on turnout and representation

• Results of national survey conducted by the Program for Public Consultation on tax and spending preferences – note that within this article there is a link that allows you to learn about federal taxes and spending and take the Federal Budget simulation yourself

• Announcement about the local pilot that is the focus of this month's newsletter. For newsletter subscribers that are part of the Ohio 7th and 13th Congressional district, this link allows you to take a comparable budget simulation to the Federal Budget simulation referenced above. This local version of the survey gives you the option to receive an email of your tax and spending preferences, and provides instructions for sharing your results with your Congressional representative. A summary of these results, along with results of a more formal survey of Ohio 7 and 13 constituents will be shared at our August 27th forum.

• Politico article about a depolarization experiment in Pennsylvania

Once information becomes available, I will share on social media registration details for the August 27 Braver Angels forum.

By early September, I will publish a brief newsletter with forum highlights.

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Take care!

Newsletter - May 2025

As I mentioned in last month's newsletter, commitment to problem solving implies an expectation that our elected representatives are truly committed to solving the key problems facing our country. Unfortunately, the current reality suggests that party loyalty, donor interests, and the next election frequently get in the way of a good faith effort to prioritize and tackle the issues that matter to constituents.

Real, honest problem solving requires partnership with the public while accounting for regional differences. It starts at the local level, where empowered and engaged citizens come up with solutions to local problems. Elected representatives can then use these solutions to inform resulting legislation, provided they are scalable to state and national levels.

I am very heartened by continued reports of constructive engagement by citizens throughout the country. These efforts potentially provide a template for participatory democracy throughout our country.

Examples of such efforts include:

• The Grand Bargain Project, which is designed to unite Americans around a practical plan to advance six objectives that 90+ percent of citizens see as critical to their future.

• Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer's vision for civic problem solving following their successful town hall earlier this month.

• Unify America's work to bring thousands of Americans together with interactive experiences that help people build and flex their civic muscles so we can work together to tackle our country's biggest challenges. Check out this recap of their deliberation on childcare in Montrose, Colorado.

• The collaboration between Voice of the People and Braver Angels that I am helping to facilitate*. This Civic Renewal initiative is designed to leverage input from citizens in Ohio's 7th and 13th Congressional districts to inform the actions taken by our Congressional representatives. The policymaking simulation on the topic selected by Braver Angels members in these districts will take place in June, with results compiled in July and shared with Braver Angels members, our Congressional representatives, and the media at a forum in August.

Please be sure to let me know about other efforts similar to these.

Going forward, I will be looking to work with other organizations to develop a template and best practice repository for participatory democracy.

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This month's social media posts:

• Going Local in a Troubled Time – article from the Bush Center about finding local solutions to national problems

• Vision for Civic Problem Solving – Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer article

• Sharing of Best Practices

• News Literacy Tips from the News Literacy Project and Rumor Guard

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Wishing everyone a great Memorial Day and unofficial start of the summer. Providing thanks and tribute to the patriots and their families that made the ultimate sacrifice!

*I will likely take a pause on my regular monthly newsletter in June, but will share information about the topic that was selected by Braver Angels members for this policymaking simulation; and all recipients of this newsletter will have an opportunity to take the policymaking simulation.

It is important to note that the results of the policymaking simulation that will be shared at our August forum will be limited to a statistically based sample of District 7 and District 13 constituents leveraging the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation methodology