Learn More Below!

---

Would you watch a debate between...

an evangelical White suburban mother from the suburbs

a progressive Black father from inner-city

a moderate southeast Asian business owner

a White libertarian rancher

and an anarchist Latinx college student

on issues such as...


Addressing the homelessness crisis

Immigration and the border

Gun violence and gun control

Jobs and the economy

Local responses to the climate crisis

The Problem

The United States is facing unprecedented political division, fueled by disinformation, divisive media, and entertainment-driven politics that erode trust and democratic engagement. However, an “Exhausted Majority” of Americans, deeply concerned about the future of democracy, is ready to catalyze a cultural movement to counter these trends and revitalize democratic values. The solution has to be as big as the cultural phenomenon hit TV shows can create.

The Solution

Toxic polarization is tearing at the fabric of our democracy, but decades of dialogue and conflict resolution work show that structured, facilitated conversations can bridge divides. Even indirect exposure to these interactions—what researchers call “vicarious contact”—can reduce polarization. This project aims to scale that effect through mass media, using reality television to bring the power of dialogue to millions. By turning real deliberative processes into emotionally engaging, dramatic storytelling, the show makes visible the transformation and connection our field sees every day. It's more than entertainment—it’s a bold cultural intervention designed to reawaken hope in our democracy.

*The Participation Playbook

Show Summary

A high production value reality show / docu-series depicting a group of 10-15 average Americans from different backgrounds, walks of life, and political orientations brought together for a professionally facilitated Citizens Jury process, in which they are challenged to arrive at a consensus decision about how to address a local public policy issue that reflects the nation’s broader political tangles in their battleground district, then present their recommendation in a high-stakes pitch session to their state governor and a panel of key local and state leaders from the public and private sectors.

A House Divided is Big Brother meets Jury Duty, featuring Jubilee-style empathy challenges and a Shark Tank finale.

​Jurors will...

Prepare

Jurors prepare by completing cooperation challenges to test teamwork, negotiation, and common ground skills, and by participating in empathy games to understand each other's perspectives and experiences. ​

Vote

After each challenge, jurors must vote for a Jury Spokesperson from a different political stance than their own to lead deliberations.

Give Testimony

During Trial Arguments, jurors hear evidence and testimony about the local problem and possible solutions from professional advocates representing left, right, and center viewpoints, presented through persuasive video segments. ​

Deliberate

Deliberations begin, and tensions rise as the jurors debate how to address the local problem and new challenges force the most polarized jurors to seek common ground.

Find Solution

In the final episode, jurors present their "verdict" on a solution for the problem to a panel of local and state leaders in a dramatic Shark Tank-style pitch session

The Democracy TV Collaborative

​Many individuals and organizations are involved, but the Democracy TV Collaborative is being spearheaded by a constellation of leading organizations in the conflict resolution, divide-bridging, and deliberative democracy fields:

For more information contact Roshan Bliss, Director of Democracy Innovations with the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation,
​at [email protected].

Democracy TV