NGA’s Disagree Better campaign promotes constructive conflict and mutual respect to fight American hyperpartisanship
According to research conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2023, 65 percent of Americans believe people have forgotten how to persuade without hating each other. The United States of America is a republic led by two major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, and while the nation has accomplished objectives in terms of adhering to constitutional values, protecting individual rights and fostering unity in diversity, this latest study shows Americans are concerned about hyperpartisanship and polarization.
Through the Disagree Better initiative, NGA Chair and Utah Governor Spencer Cox asserts governors can play a pivotal role in teaching Americans to engage in passionate disagreements while maintaining friendships. "Study after study reveals that our social fabric is rapidly unraveling. Trust in major institutions has plummeted to historic lows over the past decade, and our trust in our neighbors has similarly declined. Increasingly, Republicans and Democrats view each other not merely as misguided but as immoral and dishonest," Cox said.
Disagree Better
The "Disagree Better" campaign, organized by the National Governors Association (NGA) in 2023, traces its origins to the 2020 Utah governor's race. During their final debate, then Republican Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and Democratic University of Utah law professor Chris Peterson showcased a model of civil discourse, despite their stark differences on issues such as the state's response to COVID-19 and the imposition of a statewide mask mandate.
According to Deseret News, the candidates maintained a respectful tone, avoiding hatred and slander, even as the pandemic surged to record levels in Utah. This display of constructive disagreement laid the foundation for the Disagree Better campaign, which aims to promote healthy conflict and mutual respect in political discussions across the nation.
According to the campaign website, Disagree Better aims to show that Americans can, through their differences, find solutions to the most difficult problems facing the states and the nation. This effort includes a series of public-facing initiatives, supported by the NGA, and tailored interventions that can be customized for each state and governor.
The governors proposed several ideas to implement the campaign, such as hosting community service projects, recording advertisements with neighboring governors from different parties, creating brief civic education ads, hosting college and university debates.
Healthy conflict for better policy
Cox stated Americans need to disagree better. “An ‘exhausted majority’ of Americans want this, and the science is clear about interventions that reduce polarization. As doers and builders, governors are in a unique position to model what healthy conflict looks like,” Cox said.
Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, emphasized people can disagree and stand firm in their beliefs and principles, but they should never forget the dignity of other human beings. “I am proud to join governors across the nation in demonstrating that civility is not a weakness—it is the Tennessee way and the American way.”
According to the campaign website, this initiative aims to change the political behaviors of voters and government officials, demonstrating that constructive conflict leads to better policies and laws, can be more politically successful than negative campaigning, and is the pathway to restoring trust in political and economic institutions. Programs involved in this campaign model a more positive and optimistic approach to addressing state problems.
Collaborating with respect and integrity
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, of the U.S. Supreme Court, emphasized the necessity of embracing differences in her address during the 2024 NGA meeting. "We are present with each other, genuinely listening during arguments and conferences. We may disagree, but we are listening. Without listening, we cannot truly consider what others are saying," Sotomayor said.
She also said, "We may have red states and blue states, but above all, we are the United States. We are a pluralistic society—this is what the First Amendment protects, our First Amendment freedoms." Sotomayor asserted if people cannot survive by tolerating differences, learning to compromise, and allowing each other to express divergent views, they will fail to achieve anything meaningful as a nation.