The Party Line Project is a social experiment from Matter Neuroscience that aims to prove Americans are more alike than different through meaningful conversations. According to the social media post announcing the project, the goal is “to create space for friendly, human-to-human conversations… a few different opinions (even on important political topics) should not block [people] from having a truly positive, maybe even fun conversation with other humans”.
Modified payphones have been placed in the most liberal and conservative cities in the US: San Francisco, CA, and Abilene, TX. The two connected phones are free to use, and the idea is that whenever the phones ring, someone will answer.
With labels on the phones reading, “Talk to a Republican” and “Talk to a Democrat”, users are likely to bring up politics at some point during their conversation. However, most participants are choosing to first find common ground with each other. Discussions often include descriptions of their day, hobbies, sports, and opinions on popular culture. By connecting through seemingly mundane topics, participants seem to be more open to hearing what the other has to say when it comes to politics.
People need to truly be open to listening to the other side for this type of cross-party communication to work, and given how deeply divided American politics are now, I don’t think many people were willing to do so. Only when people are willing to put aside the mentality of “you vs. me, left vs. right” and adopt a “citizen vs. government, us vs. power” one, will any productive conversations take place. If you are going to engage in these conversations, you must be willing to admit you could be wrong. Surprisingly, when the topic of politics is brought up, many participants in the project have rejected the typical “Republican” and “Democrat” labels.
The Party Line Project phones give people a chance to engage in these complex conversations without putting anything at stake. We have all seen the videos of people having political discussions on social media, oftentimes ending in anger from one or both sides. Additionally, these public discussions often lead members of both political parties to direct their anger at the individuals involved in the video. While conversations on the Party Line phones are recorded, identifying information will be removed if shared on social media, providing participants with the ability to remain anonymous. Meaning there is nothing to lose by talking to someone on the other side of the aisle.
Whether the Party Line Project ends up being nothing more than a publicity stunt, a public art installation, or doesn’t lead to any real change, at least it gets people talking, which is half the battle today.
