The tension ahead of the election is undeniable. All you have to do is open up Facebook.
Division and extreme disagreements can threaten democracy, but there's a better solution than just hitting snooze on someone's profile or staying silent.
“Our democracy only works when one: we participate in it, and two: we believe that it can work,” said Dan Vallone, U.S. Director of More in Common. “And we are seeing signs that the sense of division 8 in 10 Americans feel like Americans being pitted against one another is a threat to our democracy.”
More in Common is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to strengthen American democracy. They do research on shared beliefs of Americans.
They found most people are exhausted by the sense of division. A majority say they trust their local election officials, and believe the process is safe and secure.
“So, there’s actually a lot of common ground we can work together on it just doesn't seem readily apparent when we look at social media,” said Vallone.
More in Common has created a series of tool kits to help guide productive discussions around democracy. There are info graphics you can share on social media.
“It requires us to work with people who disagree with us politically. It requires us to talk to one another in order to make it work,” said Vallone.
The idea isn't to get people to change their viewpoint or come to a common agreement. It’s to find shared passions.
You can find guides about topics related to the election at DemocracyForPresident.com.