The Collegiality of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Arriving at Our Common Purpose is as much about process as it is principles. The process used for determining the principles.
One of the many renowned traits of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was her ability to work with others, even those who held a different view.
She credited her mother-in-law for giving her some good advice. “In every good marriage,” she counseled, “It helps sometimes to be a little deaf.”
Justice Ginsberg pointed out in an essay written in 2016 that the advice didn’t just apply at home. “I have employed it as well in every workplace, including the Supreme Court,” she wrote. “When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune it out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
Collegiality, she wrote in that same article, is crucial to the success of the Court.
“The questions we take up are rarely easy; they seldom have indubitably right answers. Yet by reasoning together at our conferences and, with more depth and precision, through circulation of, and responses to, draft opinions, we ultimately agree far more often than we divide sharply.”
Excerpted from an essay, which originally appeared in The New York Times Sunday Review in 2016 and was reprinted today, that was adapted from the book “My Own Words” co-written by Justice Ginsberg.
Polls Show Principles Bridge The Political Divide
The 10 even-handed phrases that make up Our Common Purpose attract strong across-the-board support from Republicans, Democrats and independents.
“I love the unifying aspects of the statements.”
— a Democrat in Florida.
“They represent everything I want in my country.”
— a Republican in California.
“I feel like most of the ideals would solve the current issues we are having.”
— an independent in North Dakota.
Yes, this is hard to believe in our crazy, seemingly hopelessly divided country. Two rounds of a nationwide public opinion survey showing the set of “10 principles to unite America” appeal to strong majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents — in virtually equal percentages. Hard to imagine that a majority of Republicans, Democrats and independents agree about something, agree about anything. And yet here you have it.
The results demonstrate two major points:
- A majority of Americans are ready, perhaps even hungry, for something different from what they are getting from today’s class of politicians.
- We can find accord, certainly in terms of our ideals, if we put our minds to doing so. The basic idea being to start from known points of agreement, such as those presented here, and working forward from there.
The 10 principles were tested in one national sample of 1,500 voters, honed a bit further, then tested again in a second sample of another 1,500 voters. The polls, conducted for Our Common Purpose by SurveyUSA in May and June 2020, produced nearly identical results across the political spectrum. In the second, 65% of voters — including 64% of Republicans, 67% of Democrats, and 64% of independents — were “totally comfortable” with the set of 10 principles.
The consistency extends to demographic groups. The samples of some sub sub-groups are too small to be too specific but . . . Suburban white women? Urban black men? Rural white men? All more than 60% “totally comfortable.”
On top of the above results, another 30% of respondents were “somewhat comfortable” with the principles. Added together, 95% of voters were comfortable to one degree or another.
This even though the timing of the two surveys couldn’t have been more disquieting. The May study was done in the midst of the heated debate over whether the country should remain closed or open up in response to the pandemic. The June study was conducted on the very days of the memorial services for George Floyd. If anything, our divisions have seemed to wedge even deeper.
You wouldn’t know it from the survey results.
Highest rated in both rounds of the survey is Principle #6: Equal Rights For All; Responsibilities For All. In the first round, 78% strongly agreed. In the second, the number rose to 81%. Another 17% somewhat agreed.
While the wording of this and the other principles might have a somewhat familiar ring, most of the survey-takers understood them to be ideals that go beyond the status quo.
“This is just what America is supposed to be,” wrote a Republican from Georgia.
Her assessment is indicative of the many written comments made by respondents to the two surveys. Only a very small minority resorted to the highly partisan, accusatory us versus them barbs we have become conditioned to expect. The great majority of respondents, perhaps inspired or at least influenced by the nature of the principles, chose to speak in terms of we as a nation or we the people.
“I love all the positivity, the caring, at what needs to be done,” commented a Democrat from Illinois.
The implications are enormous. Put something reasonable and positive in front of Americans, and the great majority will respond accordingly. We all should find this greatly encouraging. The principles are:
- Informative. We are careening these days from issue to issue, cause to cause, without any sense of overall direction. Some have lost sight of True North, or perhaps never learned it. Common purpose provides a set of standards to guide our actions – individually and collectively.
These are principles we should all live by.
— A Republican in Michigan
They are all core foundational values of the American system.
— An independent in New Jersey
These beliefs are important as a citizen to adhere to.
— A Democrat in Texas
- Unifying. We are presented daily with evidence of discord, creating a sense that we are tearing apart rather than gathering together. The media’s attention is directed at the extremes rather than the backbone that holds us together. Common purpose spells out what many believe but haven’t had the words to cite.
We are all on the same ship, we sink or swim together.
— An independent in Virginia
It is best for America to be united now more than ever. It is not about politics. It is about our country.
— A Republican in Maryland
We have to all work together to achieve a common goal.
— A Democrat in Tennessee
- Aspirational. While the phrasing has a familiar ring, none of the principles presented here is an endorsement of the status quo. Had we been taking these steps all along to heal past wounds, remedy wrongs, build upon progress, work toward a more perfect union, we probably wouldn’t be in the fix we find ourselves today. Common purpose makes it clear we have work to do.
If all Americans put action to these words, we would be a much greater country.
— An independent in Colorado
I think they are a perfect set of values! We could follow them.
— A Democrat in Florida
Idealistic statements, bring it on.
— A Republican in Indiana
- Foundational. With all that the principles have to offer, they are only a starting point. Such ideals will not be achieved automatically, all occurring in due course. They require much further discussion, of the very type that led to the principles themselves, to agree upon steps to pursue each of them.
These statements sound good in theory but I don’t know that they are easily applied.
— A Republican in Alabama
As a whole they are good, but the devil is in the details.
— A Democrat in California
I think the principles are important values that should guide decision making in our society.
— An independent in the state of Washington
Common purpose provides a foundation, but only that. It needs to be built upon. There’s a lot we can and should do just to get the wheels turning:
- Spread the word of these principles to the greater public.
- Make the principles the subject of discussions big and small.
- Do the hard work of developing the principles from high-minded slogans into meaningful action.
- Introduce all of the above into the national dialogue.
Interested in learning more? The principles will be rolled out one-by-one in more detail in the coming weeks on this website.
Sign up here to receive the updates. And please share this information with others. There’s a lot at stake.
Contrary to what we keep hearing, we can’t agree on anything anymore, the 10 points of agreement indicate that we can. The thought is freeing, refreshing, even uplifting. And oh my, how important to the condition of our country!