IS THIS A POLITICAL PARTY?
No.
DO YOU ENDORSE CANDIDATES?
No. Read our policy on election involvement here.
DO I NEED TO CHANGE MY POSITION ON ISSUES TO PARTICIPATE?
Absolutely not. We don't want anyone to change their party, or their beliefs -- in fact, bringing those affiliations and beliefs to the table is important. We need to have multiple voices and multiple perspectives, as working to overcome the divisiveness in our political culture will require support across the political spectrum.
That being said, if you're feeling that other members of your party are adopting extreme views beyond what you're comfortable with, or that you don't align with the majority of other party members, this could be the place to participate.
WHO IS "WE"?
At Majority in the Middle, we think of "we" as everyone who identifies as part of the middle. Organizationally, we're governed by a board of directors (you can see more about those people here) and our Executive Director.
You can become part of the "we" as well. There are lots of ways to get involved -- become a member, join us for one of our events, host our ED as a speaker at your civic or business group meeting, participate in a project, donate, or help us share our mission on social media. Do you have an idea of your own? Email and let us know.
We start recruiting for new board members in early fall every year, so if you're interested in being considered for the next class, the best thing to do is make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter list -- that'll be the first place we share the application form when it's open next fall.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE "MIDDLE"?
This is probably the question we hear the most. Middle can mean politically moderate. Middle can also mean someone who has some political views that align with the right, and some that align with the left. And middle can also mean someone who is completely conservative or liberal in their political views, but who still believes in the values of cooperation and collaboration. Anyone who wants to help work past the divisiveness in our current political culture can be part of the middle.
We don't have a litmus test to participate, we just ask that everyone who joins in does so in a spirit of good faith. We have been really fortunate that our mission speaks to a lot of people who want to join in, no matter where they fall on an ideological scale.
WHATE ARE YOUR POSITIONS ON ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, MINIMUM WAGE, HEALTHCARE AND IMMIGRATION?
Majority in the Middle is focused on issues that contribute to or enable unproductive divisions in our civic culture, which make finding common ground on other subjects (like climate change, minimum wage, healthcare, immigration, etc.) almost impossible.
We're pretty sure that if we can fix the extremism and incivility in our politics, that may make tackling other issues easier for everyone.
DO YOU HAVE A POSITION ON THIRD PARTIES?
Majority in the Middle is agnostic on third parties. Our focus is on giving those in the middle a place to gather outside of hyperpartisan back-and-forth, and on elevating voices of people who are modeling behavior we want to see. There is important progress we can make in a system dominated today by two parties but these principles would be valuable to improving civic engagement in a multipartisan environment as well.
HOW IS THE ORGANIZATION FUNDED?
Right now, we are funded primarily by individual donors. In late 2023 we launched a membership program and a corporate sponsorship program. We are also pursuing grants and institutional support as well. (If you are in philanthropy and like our mission, let's talk!)
Majority in the Middle has a 501(c)3 designation from the IRS, so donations are tax-deductible. If you'd like to donate, we'd love the support! Click on the button at the bottom of the page.
WHAT DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION DO?
We're giving those in the middle a place to gather outside the back-and-forth, elevating voices of people who are modeling behavior we want to see, and working on ways to bring a little more civility and a little less partisanship to our politics.
This year we published our first State of Bipartisanship report. We regularly host events, sometimes in person and sometimes on Zoom. The best way to hear about opportunities to get involved is by subscribing to our email list.
I LIVE IN (INSERT STATE HERE). CAN I STILL PARTICIPATE?
Absolutely! We're headquartered in Minnesota so that's our first test case opportunity for trying new things and suggesting reforms. Our hope is to take what we learn here and be able to replicate it elsewhere. In addition, issues having to do with nonpartisan offices, individual citizens, media, etc. should be applicable anywhere. Obviously civility and political culture have opportunities for improvement EVERYWHERE.
We're a "virtual first" organization by design, so our Zoom meetings should be accessible from anywhere. (If you're having a time-change issue, let us know and we'll see what we can do.)