Founder of The C-Plan (2013), a bipartisan movement promoting civility, cooperation, and compromise in American politics. Quantitative researcher and owner of DataStar, Inc., a survey management firm in Waltham, MA.
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To some, dancing comes naturally and can be self-taught; most of us require lessons. Dancing becomes a lifelong passion for many. Politics, in many ways, is also a dance, and understanding how to participate requires effort, but can be similarly rewarding.Learning to lead and follow, to maintain balance, and
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“Closed-door interactions.” That’s what the American Political Science Association (APSA) has recommended as one way to tackle congressional inaction. An APSA task force suggests that less transparency in government has clear and actionable benefits which can bolster the ability of Congress to resolve difficult policy issues. Less transparent government?
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explains the Captain in the 1967 film, Cool Hand Luke. Communication is at the root of any successful negotiation. When we fail to communicate, we fail to negotiate: no compromise; no consensus; no collaboration; no action. The U.S. Congress has shown a complete breakdown in its ability to negotiate
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It is a delicate yet sometimes not-very-graceful balancing act that our elected representatives must constantly perform. It is an act executed on a high-wire strung between opposing interests and electorates. Much of this challenge is considered by many to be a result of partisan primary elections. As the theory goes,
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Al Jazeera America (AJA) launched its U.S. broadcast distribution in August 2013, to provide "unbiased, fact-based and in-depth journalism." AJA claims a commitment to a code of ethics regarding journalistic responsibility, accountability, and high standards. Initially, its debut was met with skepticism and controversy. It has been
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The quote, popularized by Mark Twain, who attributed it ( erroneously?) to the 19th-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, speaks volumes. Facts, as often reported, may be based on statistics. Statistics are based on data -- data which is inherently based on a collection of opinions. The danger of statistics is
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The transformations that candidates go through can be especially interesting in my home state, the Democratic stronghold of Massachusetts. Ever since Massachusetts was the only state won by George McGovern in 1972, it has widely been considered a bastion of liberalism. Democratic candidates from the state such as Michael Dukakis,
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I strongly support efforts which encourage our elected representatives to seek common ground and bipartisanship -- toward consensus, cooperation, and compromise. I have even founded my own movement, the C-Party Solution, for this purpose. Yet, I have come to realize that there is a deeper problem. “We have met the