It sounds pretty obvious: you learn something more deeply when you have an emotional connection to it. That’s not just intuition but the conclusion of a whole body of neuroscience research.
We can harness emotion for good policymaking and social cohesion or for…well, the opposite. Negative emotions can hijack a town hall. Lack of emotion can bore a crowd to death. A big question for us is how to leverage positive emotion to build productive relationships and make better policy.
That’s why, in 2022, we launched It’s Your America, a two-hour workshop designed to introduce communities to deliberation while strengthening civic skills, fostering community, and – we promise – having fun.
Here’s how it works: participants work together in small groups on a series of interactive exercises that help discover shared values, practice having productive conversations, and build consensus. It’s Your America workshops are accessible to the general public, bringing together elected officials, community leaders, and constituents on a level playing field.
We designed It’s Your America to have a lasting, positive emotional and psychological impact. The usual Post-It notes and index cards are replaced with game boards, team challenges, and plenty of opportunities to share personal stories. We even designed it with someone keenly attuned to inspiring emotion: a Hollywood reality show producer (don’t laugh).
Entertainment isn’t the ultimate goal of It’s Your America, though. Our aim is bringing people – from across the political spectrum – together to learn about key public policy issues, build skills for problem-solving, and develop consensus solutions. A good deliberation gives people an opportunity to weigh evidence and exchange thoughts with others on a shared mission, punctuated by “aha!” moments and a growing appreciation for complexity. It’s a transformative experience that can rebuild our relationships with each other and with government – but it’s hard to induce within the traditional formats for public engagement.
Reach out to [email protected] to learn more about bringing It’s Your America to your community!
