The Better Arguments Project

The Better Arguments Project is a national civic initiative created to help bridge divides – not by papering over those divides but by helping Americans have Better Arguments. In this sense, arguments don’t have to drive us apart. Better Arguments can bring us together. Click here to learn more about our approach.

Interested in getting involved? Check out our Join Us page for ways you can engage with the Better Arguments Project.

The Better Arguments Project

K-12 Education

How to Teach Middle School Students to Argue Better

How do we raise and educate young people to understand and navigate ideological divides?

BY Citizenship and American Identity Program

Video

05.12.2021
Around the Institute

Better Arguments 101

APR

21

Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST

Virtual

Join us for a one-hour introduction to the Better Arguments Project, a national civic initiative created to help bridge divides – not by papering over those divides but by helping Americans have Better Arguments.
Around the Institute

Principles to Practice

APR

07

Wed Apr 7, 2021 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST

Virtual

This session offers concrete tips for putting Better Arguments principles into practice, as well as reflections about the opportunities and challenges related to bridging our nation’s divides. We recommend attending Better Arguments 101 before this session.
Around the Institute

Better Arguments 101

MAR

24

Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST

Virtual

Join us for a one-hour introduction to the Better Arguments Project, a national civic initiative created to help bridge divides – not by papering over those divides but by helping Americans have Better Arguments.
Too Many Thanksgiving or Election Day Disagreements? Here’s How to Have a Better Argument

America is ideologically split, and if the animosity over the 2020 election results is any indication, we may be fast losing the ability to bridge the divide.
This Expert Says You Shouldn’t Keep Politics out of the Office—Here’s the Right Way to Talk about it at Work

Leaders at work should guide their employees to have elevated conversations about politics, according to Hopper.
How to Talk Politics with Angry Loved Ones Who Disagree with You

Election Day may be over, but the anger and frustration that divide America politically continue to simmer.
US Government

Bridging Social Divides With Better Arguments

Tensions are mounting across the United States and around the world. People from all walks of life often feel like their opinions aren’t respected or heard, leading to bitter disagreements that drive wedges between family members, neighbors, and communities. That’s where the Better Arguments Project comes in.

BY Aspen Ideas to Go

Podcast

09.30.2020
Teaching students how to argue begins with self-reflection

Supporting students as they learn to productively engage and converse in today’s political environment begins with the teachers. Learn more from our partner Laura Tavares at Facing History and Ourselves during her interview with Education Dive.
Civic Action

What is a Better Argument in Middle School?

What is a Better Argument in a middle school context? This document summarizes our key learnings from advisors to inspire teachers and students to engage across difference in the classroom.

BY The Better Arguments Project

Publication

02.25.2020
If We Are Going To Argue, Let's Do It Right

The key to addressing this kind of division is to have better -- not fewer -- arguments. After all, argument is fundamental to any democracy, and limiting arguments can suppress needed deliberation. This is the premise of the Better Arguments Project, a collaboration among the Aspen Institute, Facing History and Ourselves, and Allstate.
How To Have Constructive Conversations At A Divisive Thanksgiving

NPR's Michel Martin talks with author Eric Liu, psychologist Vaile Wright and columnist Steven Petrow about constructive conversations at Thanksgiving and how to repair America's social fabric.
The Better Arguments Project hosts event in Denver

Participants had the opportunity to constructively engage in contentious topics, including economic growth, technological advancement, inequity, gentrification and housing displacement, as they relate to metro Denver's booming tech industry.
Better Arguments: Tech-Boom Tensions in Denver

On June 13, at Anythink Wright Farms in Thornton, Colorado, the Better Arguments Project is piloted "Better Arguments: Tech Boom Tension in Denver." The program included remarks by local and national leaders, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
Better Arguments: Longtimers & Newcomers in Detroit

Check out this piece about our first pilot community event in Detroit! We partnered with the Urban Consulate to host a pilot event in Detroit, Michigan to address tensions between longtime Detroiters and newcomers as the city adapts to a time of rapid change and growth.
Civic Action

NBC Universal Erase The Hate Campaign

The Better Arguments Project has been named an Erase The Hate Change Maker! Learn how it equips Americans to have arguments that bring us closer together instead of driving us further apart at www.erasethehateorg.

BY Citizenship and American Identity Program

Video

08.13.2018
Eric Liu on The Morning Show

On Wisconsin Public Radio, Eric Liu gives tips on how to be less stupid at arguing in the age of Twitter and extreme political polarization.
Identity and Equity

Can Americans Come Together by Arguing Better?

We don’t need fewer arguments in American civic life today, we need less stupid ones.

BY Eric Liu

Video

06.28.2018
Five Features of Better Arguments

Eric Liu studied how to facilitate more constructive arguments among Americans. These are his conclusions.
Civic Action

The Importance of Political Disagreement

Civic life is better when we engage with the other side.

BY Joan Blades, & 1 more

Blog Post

05.18.2018
Civic Action

Forming Better Arguments

Good arguments are essential to American civic life.

BY Roger Brooks

Blog Post

05.16.2018
Civic Action

What is a Better Argument?

What is a Better Argument? This document summarizes our learning throughout this discovery phase.

BY Citizenship and American Identity Program

Publication

03.19.2018
Announcing the Better Arguments Project

Press release: Aspen Institute, Facing History and Ourselves and Allstate Create the New Town Hall to Encourage Civil Discourse in Divided Country.
US Government

Americans Need to Get Better at Arguing

Americans can do better. Remember: America doesn’t just have arguments; America is an argument.

BY Eric Liu

Blog Post

11.08.2016

Building America’s Next Great Awakening

Reimagining What It Means to Be Powerful

A How-to Book for Wielding Civic Power

The Handbook That Can Help Americans Rig the Government

Americans Don't Need Reconciliation—They Need to Get Better at Arguing

There's no such thing as not voting (Ted Talk)

Who Will "Us" Be?

Why Ordinary People Need to Understand Power (TED Talk)

Reimagining Citizenship

Aspen Ideas Festival 2016 - What the 2016 Election Is Teaching Us About a Changing America

Aspen Ideas Festival 2016 - How Colleges Develop Civic Leaders

Aspen Ideas Festival 2016 - Deep Dive: Art and Immigration-Culture and Dividing