Otis White on democracy: Nothing worth doing is easy (Civic Strategies Part 3)
In Part 3 of our conversation on the “Community Catalysts” podcast, Otis White brings some historical perspective to today’s political polarization.
“I don’t understand how it becomes a business model to make people angry at one another, but it has,” says the former president of Civic Strategies in Atlanta, Georgia.
Digital technology has made it “so much easier to spread bad ideas,” he adds. And yet Otis, whom I have long admired as a thought leader in the strategic planning sector, thinks today’s divisions aren’t as deep as some Americans fear.
That’s because even in the world’s oldest representative democracy, it has always been difficult to overcome conflict and self-interest to advance the common good.
Public education, for example, “was not seen as the responsibility of government until the middle of the 19th century,” Otis reminds us. “So convincing folks that somehow they should pay taxes so that other people’s children could be educated is an extraordinary feat in American government."
In this week’s episode, we also hear from Frank Turner, former City Manager and Foundation trustee in Covington, Georgia, from Otis’ “Civic Strategies” podcast archive.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, and all podcast platforms.
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SPECIAL DATE FOR JULY: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
THIS MONTH’S TOPIC: Where Does It Hurt? Incivility is causing rising stress in many communities, with varying causes and intensity. Following up on our recent FLASH SURVEY, let’s share perspectives on how different communities experience the "pain points" of incivility.
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