Bridging the Political Divide on Bridge of Social Innovation

You can't turn on the news without hearing about the polarized state of politics in America. Republicans are voicing plans to a repeal of Obamacare. Bi-partisan efforts seem almost non-existent. It's ugly.

Our friends over in the UK went through a political battle this past spring when there was a hung parliament. The result has been a coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberals with Conservative David Cameron becoming the Prime Minister and Liberal Nick Clegg as Deputy PM. While Cameron's policies mark a change from those of the Labor party, he has not overturned Blair's strides for government to invest in social innovation.

Cameron has renamed Tony Blair's 'Office of the Third Sector' the 'Office of Civil Society' but still works to help social ventures that could alleviate future fiscal and organizational demands on government to provide for its citizenry in the future. It is encouraging to see that the parties have been able to get behind the idea together.

In the United States we have seen Democrats and Republicans coming together behind the idea of charter schools. While the verdict is still out on the overall effectiveness or such institutions as whole, both the GOP and many, but not all, Dems agree that our educational institutions require an overhaul and innovations such as charter schools are one way to go about it. With just a quick Google search one can find articles promoting charter schools on the websites for the Center for American Progress and National Review. That's cross isle appeal.

In the Center for American Progress's December 2007 article, "Investing in Social Entrepreneurship and Foster Social Innovation", Senior Fellow Michele Jolin laid out the foundation for the White House to create an Office of Social Innovation. Upon taking office President Obama took action and created such an office now headed by Sonal Shah, a former employee of Google, Goldman Sachs, and the Center for American Progress.

I believe the projects that come out of this office have the potential to do for politics what charter schools have done for education. The projects can bring together individuals from various professional and political backgrounds to create innovative solutions to problems through innovative means. Results are important. Collaboration is essential. Solutions based on polarizing policies only set the country up for power struggles. By empowering social innovators to take on problems government and the market have failed to solve we pave the road to a more productive and peaceful future.

The question is, what social innovation projects can Democrats and Republicans both get behind that will help the American people see Washington still has the ability to work together? Charter schools were only the beginning.

I would prefer that people post specifically on domestic projects. While international ventures are admirable I believe focusing on projects that will have a direct impact on our citizenry will create a more positive impact around politics in America.