Anyone who follows American politics knows that the quality of public discourse has deteriorated rapidly here in recent years. Facts no longer matter. Irrationality triumphs over common sense. Personal attacks on character and patriotism are the rule. Informed, intelligent debate by political leaders and other public figures no longer seems possible.

In an effort to stem the rapidly flowing tide of partisan vitriol here in the U.S., four Wesleyan University graduates teamed up to create BeyondPartisan.org, a web site designed to foster a different kind of discourse:

The Beyond Partisan process begins with an issue-article, a brief and accessible piece focusing on a single policy area. Fact-based and reasoned issue-articles push the bounds of previous efforts and expand the borders of consideration. Simple, short and open dialogue through web-posting creates a conversation to which each American is invited—a conversation which no American should ignore. Your contribution must not stop at short responses. Your full-length opinion pieces will act as your personal message to your fellow citizens: this is the editorial page for every American. We must as citizens reflect upon our discussion and find the shared values which move us toward consensus. This is not the partisan tirade of lone-gunmen bloggers; this is a return to the egalitarian foundation of America’s birth through the means of modern technology.

For further information, read the BeyondPartisan.org mission statement.

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