Three Chances to Set Politics Aside

The RAND Corporation organized an event in November called Politics Aside 2010. It was a weekend retreat scheduled on the heels of the November election to promote civilized nonpartisan discourse in contrast to the antagonism of the campaign season.

Participants sought common ground on matters of great consequence: international security, economic globalization, catastrophe preparation, education reform, the role of the media, and so on. Having attended many of the conversations, I can attest to the good-natured efforts of those present, regardless of their political views, to leave their ideologies at the door, to focus on the facts, and to treat one another with respect.

In this issue, the three feature stories on Haitian recovery, teacher accountability, and transportation finance offer proposals that should transcend partisan divides. But in tight economic times, the allocation of resources for these purposes over others could ignite political dynamite. To pursue these purposes and other worthy goals outlined here, let us hope that we can set politics aside in the years ahead for more than a weekend at a time.

—John Godges