What's Next? A 4-Part Post-Election Support Series
An election marks the culmination of one phase of democracy and the beginning of another phase.
After months of polarizing campaigns, media coverage, social media debates, and protests have culminated in this one event, we all turn to the pressing question: what happens next? How do we come together again as a community—or a campus, a school, a workplace, or faith institution? How do we rebuild, repair, and reconnect?
During this time of division, uncertainty, and disconnection, some dialogue organizations will bring folks together for a post-election conversation. But we think there is groundwork to be done—on a personal level, in our trusted circles, and in our larger networks.
The four free resources linked below will help you do just that—empowering you to repair the fabric of your community, piece by piece.
Exercise 1: Recover Your Best Political Self
We’ll begin with ourselves, taking some much-needed time and space to reflect on what matters most to us and who we want to be.
This first exercise is a tool to help you reflect on the stories, experiences, and relationships that inform your political perspectives and values. We want to help you become curious about who your best political self could be—and how that connects to what you decide to do now that the election season is over.
Exercise 2: A First-Draft Conversation
Next up is a resource to help you have an intentional conversation with someone who knows you well already, someone you trust and feel fully yourself with.
It's hard to escape the polarizing influence of this election cycle and easy to lose yourself. Our resource will help you engage with someone close to you about your own well-being. How are you doing as this election season comes to a close? What matters most as you think about the challenges to come?
This is a first-draft conversation, so it might be messy. We hope you will be able to worry less about speaking carefully since you’re already well-understood by the other person.
We invite you to practice talking about your values and priorities in ways that leave you feeling more connected, more understood, and more grounded.
Exercise 3: (Re)Building Community
Now that you've had time for reflection, this exercise will help you connect with someone in your life who might feel isolated because of the election's outcome.
This could be a family member, colleague, fellow parishioner, or an acquaintance. The person doesn’t have to believe something different than you (although they might).
Maybe they’re the only person in a given space with a certain perspective, someone who hasn’t responded to the outcome the way others have, someone who feels unwelcome in election conversations, or someone who has felt excluded in the past.
You’ll be given guidance on how to help that person feel heard, fully and seriously. It’s a chance to build—or re-build—this relationship on a foundation of repaired trust and understanding.
Exercise 4: A Group Dialogue
Finally, this series culminates in a group dialogue. We’ll provide a framework for you to lead a small-group discussion that welcomes different perspectives and begins to repair your community after a divisive election.
This doesn't have to be a strict, formal dialogue. Maybe it’s a family conversation over a holiday dinner, part of a check-in during your weekly team meeting, or part of a classroom discussion. The goal is to create a new kind of space for a new kind of conversation, one that people haven't been able to have.
Final Thoughts
Remember that healthier discourse and a vibrant democracy aren't produced overnight.
It takes intention and time for people to recover their best selves. It takes practice to engage in healither discussions across different perspectives—especially in the wake of a polarized election. But these are the crucial foundations for a vibrant democracy.
You are laying the groundwork, just as thousands of others are, in the places where you live, work, worship, and learn together.
If you feel like you need help urgently, you can also reach out to us for a free consultation. We are here to help all those who do the hard work of tending to the health of their community.
