Dealmakers: The drivers of political compromise

Compromise is critical to democracy, but it can be hard to find on Capitol Hill. In this era of partisan hyper-competitiveness and normalized legislative gridlock, however, there are still some lawmakers who willingly cross the aisle instead of just crossing their arms. Why? And who are they?

On January 12, the Governance Studies program at Brookings will convene an online discussion to consider these questions. Nonresident Senior Fellow David C. Barker will share insights from his new book, “Dealmakers: The Psychology of Legislative Compromise,” which pinpoints empathy on the part of voters as a necessary ingredient of most legislative bargaining breakthroughs. Senior Fellow Jonathan Rauch will then moderate a panel of distinguished Brookings experts to interrogate Barker’s thesis and to examine the topic more broadly.

Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to [email protected].