UVA politics professors Mary Kate Cary and Jennifer Lawless moderated the discussion. UVA President Jim Ryan said the discussion is a “perfect example of why we started the democracy dialogues.”

“First, the series is a way to have meaningful and productive conversations with those who have different perspectives on the issues facing democracy here and around the world,” Ryan said in introducing the governors. “Second, it’s a way to show our students, and all of us, how to have healthy, productive conversations across differences, whether political or ideological.”

The governors emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation and the potential for positive change through shared experiences and understanding.

They agreed that polarization has increased to the point that Americans are exhausted.

“We had a contentious election in which half the country felt like they had to throw a brick through a window to get attention, and the other half of the country felt like someone was coming to throw a brick through his window,” Cox said. “We are seeing the real consequences of threats of violence against elected officials and judges across the country. And this is also happening at the local level. People feel this kind of animosity that just keeps growing. It’s incredibly unhealthy.

Volunteering in the community, whether for nonprofit organizations or serving on local boards, is a way to create better disagreements by getting people with different viewpoints to get to know each other through as individuals, they said.

“The service has many benefits, including depolarization,” Cox said. “Many groups are popping up, not only on the service side, but also on the depolarization side. Some of it happens organically, with groups of students saying, “We’re really tired of what’s happening in our country. »

“The service brings people together outside of their opinions and politics,” Murphy said. “I think it can’t be understated as a positive if you can disagree with someone and then go out and have dinner.”