Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Search

Refine search

Refine search

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

1 results

  • 12 - Breaking the Political Logjam

  • from Part III - Sensible Steps for Today’s World: Powerful Measures We Can Implement Right Away
  • Michael D. Bess, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
  • Book:
    Planet in Peril
    Published online:
    13 October 2022
    Print publication:
    13 October 2022, pp 169-184

  • Summary

    Harsh political polarization between Left and Right not only poses a serious threat to the viability of democracies, but also undermines the ability of governments to respond to planet-level challenges in an effective and timely manner. The politicization of science has been one unfortunate side effect of this broader trend toward political tribalism. The chapter surveys several strategies for mitigating, or dialing down, the political gridlock that afflicts many democratic countries: organizing citizens to elect politicians who seek pragmatic compromise rather than partisan advantage; pursuing trust-building initiatives across the Left-Right divide; and adopting the tools of deliberative democracy as a way to combat the “fake news” epidemic afflicting political debates. Individual citizens have many avenues for making a direct impact on these problems through their own behaviors and choices.