Coalition-Building with the Nation’s Only Unicameral State Legislature
Kearney, Nebraska – The National Institute for Civil Discourse’s Executive Director, Keith Allred, joined Thom Little and Jack Thomas for a Next Generation workshop with members of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature. The workshop combined lessons from the United States’ founders and legislative negotiation exercises to offer members the historic importance of governing collaboratively and the tools they need to be effective. Plus, a little intra-state rivalry was reignited when NICD accidentally began a debate over which Nebraska Cabela’s was truly the first location of the iconic chain.
Legislators in Nebraska serve in the nation’s only unicameral and nonpartisan state legislature. With strong norms of collegiality, the legislators themselves are experienced in building strong connections between all members and enjoy the benefits of a civil legislative body. NICD’s workshop harnessed these relationships for stronger policy negotiations among elected officials.
Keith Allred brought contemporary evidence on polarization to bear with the Founding Fathers’ thoughts on the most significant dangers our new nation would face. Our first five presidents anticipated the tremendous weight that the “spirit of party” would impose on our policymakers, and warned of the dangers of what we now call partisanship. Their warnings are not without hope, though. Where a broad and diverse set of individuals can agree on policy, there is an indication of durable wisdom. Lawmakers are now tasked with finding and fostering a broad consensus outside the narrower group of those who already agree.
The second session, led by Thom Little, picked up after lunch and walked legislators through the principles of civil and substantive debate. The experience of campaigning for public office incentivizes claiming knowledge about every policy area and being unwilling to compromise beliefs. These attitudes, which can win elections, rarely win large coalitions of fellow legislators. Dr. Little led legislators in two negotiation exercises to cement the skills of building agreement by looking for the common good.
NICD was glad to work with legislators at their annual pre-session gathering, and we wish the unicameral the best as it begins the 2025 session and works to settle the great Cabela’s debate. Thank you to the Unicameral and Speaker John Arch for having us!
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About NICD, the National Institute for Civil Discourse
NICD works to build the nation’s capacity to engage our differences constructively. In 2011, the University of Arizona created NICD after the Tucson shooting that killed six people and wounded another thirteen, including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In the weeks prior to the shooting, Congresswoman Giffords was already in discussion with the University of Arizona about creating a center that would focus on improving the quality of discourse. The galvanizing power of that event brought together founding honorary co-chairs George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton and an impressive bipartisan group of other leaders to honor Congresswoman Giffords’ vision.
Next Generation is one of NICD’s most important programs that creates and strengthens bipartisan relationships through mutual, trust-based, and effective communication in state legislatures around the country.
NICD offers Americans a variety of opportunities and resources to engage differences constructively at https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/.
