Until the 1980s, Americans generally expressed a neutral view of the opposing political party. This has changed dramatically as the country has moved toward hyper-partisanship. A 2014 Stanford University study found that politics - not race - is becoming the deepest divide in America. And, it can be argued that our political leaders are the ones responsible for this shift, often directing hostility to the opposing party and refusing to work collaboratively across party lines to solve problems.
In President Obama's final State of the Union address, he acknowledged the growing divide between Republicans, Democrats, and Independents: "It's one of the few regrets of my presidency - that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better." As we prepare to elect the next President, how can we urge our political leaders to abandon the hyper-partisan viewpoint and find common ground?
Nancy Jacobson, Founder and CEO of No Labels, tells us how the organization is working to encourage and facilitate collaboration among political leaders of all parties to solve the nation's most pressing problems.