Workshops

Program Offerings

Next Generation offers customizable breakout sessions, workshops, and virtual presentations. Breakout sessions and workshops are always led by a bipartisan team of Facilitators – current or former legislators from a nearby state. All options offer an engaging, bipartisan discussion that opens doors to finding common ground and moves your state toward a more perfect union: Empathy instead of Vitriol; Listening for Understanding instead of Hearing to Overpower; Humility instead of All-knowing. Next Generation looks forward to working with your state legislature to create the best option.

Building Trust Through Civil Discourse Workshop (4.5 hours)

Do you ever wish you could have a private conversation with fellow legislators from across the aisle about things you might agree on or have in common? Are you willing to engage with your colleagues for an off-the-record conversation about engaging differences constructively?

During this workshop, legislators begin with a meal to honor fellowship, learn about the foundation and critical role of civility to our nation’s Founders, and watch examples of unlikely friendships. Then, a bipartisan team of Next Generation Facilitators – current or former state legislators from nearby states – move the large group into breakout rooms for small group work. No more than 20 Democrats and Republicans from both chambers will share personal journeys, define the current state of civility, identify barriers and opportunities to leverage change, and create an action plan. During the last hour of the workshop, all legislators return together to report action plans and vote on priorities.

The Case for Civil Discourse (1 or 1.5 hour sessions)

Topic One: Leading with Civility – A Practical Approach

Have you ever wondered what makes a great leader—one that can motivate and inspire others to achieve extraordinary results? Drawing on their long legislative experiences leading a state Senate or House, a member of Next Generation Leadership or Advisory Board will explore the vital role civility played in the founding of America and its continued importance in today’s political environment.

Whether a freshman legislator or seasoned lawmaker, each participant will discover practical civil discourse best practices as they relate to leadership skills: Engaging Differences Constructively, Listening for Understanding, Empathy, Humility, Conscience, Principled Advocacy, and Common Ground.

Topic Two: Founding Fathers

The nation’s capacity to work across our differences respectfully and with civility has reached record lows. Analyses of the more than 13 million roll call votes cast since 1789 reveal that the Congress is now the most polarized ever. The American Founders recognized that differences escalating into dysfunctional partisan animosity was the chief reason every previous republic had failed. Building a republic robust to partisan animosity was the chief problem the Founders aimed to solve in framing the U.S. Constitution. The main reason the American system takes separation of powers further than any other is to prevent parties from imposing their will on everyone else.

Keith Allred, Executive Director the National Institute for Civil Discourse, leads a discussion of the Founders’ thinking about partisan animosity and their conclusion that engaging each other with civility and respect across partisan lines is crucial to the success of the American republic.

Topic Three: The Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis

This session explores how to realize the benefits of diverse perspectives within a legislature or a caucus without falling into dysfunctional conflict. Drawing on research in group decision making, National Institute for Civil Discourse Executive Director Keith Allred leads this interactive, skills building session.

The conversation starts with a discussion of the Kennedy Administration’s decision to sponsor an incursion into Castro’s Cuba and the monumental blunder that it turned out to be. Just 18 months later, the same group confronted a daunting challenge in the Cuban Missile Crisis. This time, when the stakes could hardly have been higher, Kennedy managed differences within his administration completely differently with vastly superior results. Participants review how Kennedy did it by viewing excerpts from the riveting 2001 movie Thirteen Days. Before Nixon’s infamous secret taping system, Kennedy had one installed. Thirteen Days is based on the transcripts from Kennedy’s tapes of his administration’s deliberations during those critical days in October 1962.