Communication is fundamentally about building trust, making connections, and sharing ideas. It is not, as many political consultants presume, a matter of activating the selfish tendencies of individuals. Throughout the last two years, I’ve given many workshops on values-based communication, framing, and strategic advocacy. In these workshops, participants learn about the workings of the political [...]
This article is also published on Truthout. Are you concerned about the future of our country? Do you want to find ways to revitalize democracy and set about the important work of solving our problems? Have you longed for an end to the extreme polarization in our political discourse? Then you’d better learn some psychology. [...]
Are you as fed up with our broken political system as I am? Do you yearn for a social movement that shatters issue siloes of the past, creates hope for a positive future, and transcends the narrowness of political discourse in the United States? Perhaps you should watch this video: We are in the midst [...]
Check this out: This is a great example of how cognitive science is creating a revolution in the ways we think about solving problems.
Times are changing rapidly and so must our organizational forms. This is why we are doing things differently at Cognitive Policy Works. We recognize the need to collaborate on a massive scale, which is why our organization is growing as a network that intersects with social businesses, government agencies, and non-profits through a disperse set [...]
Here’s a list of our ten favorite articles and videos about cognitive science, culture, politics, and social movements: The Science (Fiction) of Embodied Cognition – Very insightful breakdown of the movie Avatar through the lens of cognitive science. Loss Aversion – Fascinating, accurate summary about recent developments in neuroscience and decision-making. In Defense of Distraction [...]
– A story about innovation in the Emerald City – When I arrived in Seattle 18 months ago, I quickly realized two things. First, this city is bustling with so much creativity that it is on the verge of becoming the next Silicon Valley. Seattle has the cultural capacity to become a leading innovation center [...]
I often begin public talks by asserting that what we believe to be true is more important than what is actually true. Then I share examples like these: Saddam Hussein is linked to the 9/11 attacks. Environmental action destroys jobs. Regulations hurt markets. Government is wasteful. Each of these claims is based on an underlying [...]
In my workshops on framing and strategic communication, I often teach audiences how to “break a frame” by exposing the underlying logic of a particular set of ideas and looking for a leverage point. This brief video is exemplary of frame breaking. It takes a simple, yet cogent story and pivots it in a powerful [...]
For all you Democratic Party strategists, Jon Stewart sees what’s going on. So do millions of young people who watch his show. We’re building the future political system to remedy this abysmal failure of leadership and tactics. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Mass Backwards www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full [...]
