center for collaborative democracy
Grand
Bargain Project
Reuniting America around a Common-Sense Plan for Nationwide Prosperity
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Current Obstacles to Progress
Political Dysfunction
Our elections are structured so that candidates can win more easily by assailing the other side than by trying to work out practical solutions.
Legislative Silos
Each law was enacted to satisfy some voters, interest groups and politicians. Current policies thereby contradict one another, waste trillions of dollars, and have let chronic problems grow worse.
Minimal Collaboration
Well organized groups have more sway on Capitol Hill than the public. And all groups lack a forum for bridging differences.
Tribalism
Various media have thrived by stoking unprecedented levels of fear and anger. Calls for civility have failed to tame these primal emotions or address the underlying causes.
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Steps to Circumvent these Obstacles
Grand
Bargain
Grand
Bargain
Proof of Concept
Various audiences, asked if they prefer the combined reforms over the country’s current direction, have overwhelmingly answered yes, including:
97%
of attendees at our Braver Angels workshop in June
93%
of major stakeholder organizations interviewed to date
92%
of attendees at Young Presidents Organization meeting in August
85%
deficit hawks, climate activists, liberals and libertarians interviewed
These results have persuaded a growing list of supporters that the evolving six-issue Grand Bargain has the capacity to unite far more of the country than anything else can in this turbulent time.
Building an Exponentially Growing Movement
Bridge Alliance, various Rotary Clubs, and other civic groups are working with us to incorporate the Grand Bargain into their community-building programs.
Braver Angels and others will host workshops in which participants deliberate over the evolving plan.
To facilitate nationwide dialogue, our Grand-Bargain-in-a-Box toolkit will enable citizens to deliberate over the contents of the evolving plan — and will enable us to distill the results into a format that we will present to political leaders as representing the will of the America people.
To mobilize the 100+ million “exhausted majority” who hunger for a better future — but disagree about how to get there — our digital-social media campaign will air messages such as: If just a fraction of us put aside our differences and unite into a movement supporting the Grand Bargain, we could at last exert influence proportional to our numbers.
Expected Outcomes
A critical mass of Americans, influencers and stakeholders will increasingly unite around the grand bargain as the roadmap for our future.
To members of the new congressional majority who strongly support any of the six goals, we will make a case that, to affect change, they too need to join together in support of the Grand Bargain.
And on a closely divided Capitol Hill, those members would be well positioned to make a case to fellow lawmakers and congressional leaders that: If we want to broaden our base of support, and show the public we can govern, we need to adopt this increasingly popular agreement as our roadmap for America’s future.
An ambitious plan. But no one has shown us any other credible way to reunite America. Nor do we see any other way to induce policymakers to agree on how to boost economic mobility, curb the debt, minimize destructive weather, or attain the other key objectives.
Our country needs the Grand Bargain to ensure that the American people and our democracy can thrive.
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Grand Bargain News
Blog
The Cost of Gridlock: What America Stands to Lose
Gridlock in Washington often feels like political business as usual. But beyond the headlines and finger-pointing lies a sobering reality: inaction has real consequences. It’s not just about legislation left on the table—it’s about opportunities lost, growing costs, and the erosion of public trust.
News
Building Consensus: Starting with Experts’ Insights to Help Shape Our Future
On December 3rd, the Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) co-hosted an event to discuss a report commissioned by the Center for Collaborative Democracy.
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Blog
Introducing the Grand Bargain Project: A Collective Path to a Stronger America
We’ve just experienced a pivotal election, one that brought a wide range of emotions, opinions, and hopes from every corner of the country.
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The Center for Collaborative Democracy is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit and the sponsor of the Grand Bargain Project. We strive to help every American reach their potential by working with business leaders, consumer advocates, labor unions, environmentalists, civil rights groups and other major stakeholders to develop innovative solutions for our nation’s most critical problems. We see that process as necessary to reduce the hyper-polarization that threatens our democracy.