From Partisanship to Common Ground

By Nathaniel Barkow

America seems irreparably divided among many lines, including class, race, religion, and ideology. I want to help bridge those divides, and I think the key is for people to gain exposure to perspectives that differ from their own. This has been critical to my journey to better understand why people hold the views they do. 

As a white, cisgender male, I recognize that I have not had to endure many difficult experiences that people with historically marginalized identities do. The police view me differently than they do some of my peers solely because of the color of my skin. I have also seen how people in poverty struggle to get the same opportunities that I have had. I see the advantages that wealth gives people in almost every aspect of life. For example, my mother grew up on food stamps and struggled to pay for higher education, whereas my classmates and I take for granted that college is something available to us.

My Jewish identity also has a significant impact on how I live my life. I have experienced bias as a Jewish person and witnessed examples of antisemitism, both small and large-scale, in the news and in day-to-day life. It is so difficult for me to see celebrities spreading antisemitic sentiments, as well as see events of vandalism of synagogues and other Jewish buildings. I have seen people I love suffer because of their Jewish identity. 

It is also incredibly difficult for me to witness anyone experience discrimination, whether it be for their race, gender, sexuality, religion, or anything else. As a New Yorker, I have grown up in a diverse environment and love being around people from all walks of life. Living here has also contributed to my political views and how I live my life. I agree with different liberal positions, such as ensuring a woman’s right to choose, limiting access to assault weapons, and pursuing equality. At the same time, I recognize that other people may live in environments where they are not exposed to as many different kinds of people, and that may affect their view of the world. 

I also know that I have a blindspot towards conservative policies. Recently, in a history essay that I wrote about censorship, I had to be aware of my own biases and make sure that I was able to recognize both sides of the argument. Even though I agreed with one side of the argument in my thesis, I made sure to write about why some people want to maintain traditional conservative values. What I see as censorship, they see as preserving a worldview that they believe is sacred. It was important for me to try to understand how religious views can shape the policies people support. 

In my school, all tenth graders participate in a class called “Independent Projects,” where every student spends the entire year (with two weeks dedicated solely to the project) working on a passion project of their choice. I decided to answer the guiding question of what has caused partisanship in America and what are possible solutions to it, as I think this is the main reason why young people are so reluctant to be politically involved. I interviewed various leading thinkers with a range of political beliefs and experiences that give them insight into partisanship and how to address it. 

I learned about the different causes of partisanship, like media/social media, primary elections, a lack of civic knowledge, and basic human nature. I also learned about possible solutions to partisanship. These included not only structural changes to the political process, but also more youth involvement, more people getting involved in politics, and more debate and conversation spaces. 

Cross-partisan conversations are the key to bridging partisan divides. In my interviews, I was able to talk to both Democrats and Republicans and within those political parties, I talked to people with varying political viewpoints. I also researched and learned how most people, regardless of political affiliation, share opinions on many things. While there are differentiating opinions within debate topics, there is more common ground and shared opinions than many realize. I think the way we discover this common ground is to listen to what other people have to say and to try to see the world from their point of view. 

I enjoy trying to understand perspectives on different issues. It is of paramount importance for people to keep an open mind to understand opposing points of view. I think social media is the main reason that people are limited in their perspectives. Watching only certain shows or reading certain news sources can create an incomplete or even false picture of an important issue, and I think it is really important to try to find ways to get people to explore ways of thinking about issues. Therefore, I would love to participate in multiple discussions about different aspects of civic engagement, so that I can broaden my perspective by hearing what other people have to say. I will always keep an open mind, and I hope to be able to walk out of a discussion with a changed mind, or at least some new fascinating knowledge. My hope is that this is a model that can be broadened so that more people can have cross-partisan conversations, and those divides that seem irreparable can actually start getting fixed.

Nathaniel Barkow is a high school Junior from New York City.