Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition is a student organization that aims to bridge divides and cultivate a healthy political environment at Georgetown. Unlike other on-campus political organizations, GBC does not have a specific ideological orientation and instead aims to offer spaces for open and respectful political dialogue.
History
Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition originated in 2015 as a chapter of NoLabels, a bipartisan advocacy group1. However, the club eventually dropped its affiliation with No Labels in 2017 to ensure it could better meet the needs of Georgetown's on-campus political environment and reduce polarization between the Georgetown University College Democrats and Georgetown University College Republicans2.
On-campus events
GBC's most frequent events are roundtables, which provide opportunities for open dialogue on relevant political issues3. Former GBC President and Director of Roundtables Tyler Van Patten (CAS '23) describes them as "a place for students to be heard and to hear"4; roundtables are open to the entire Georgetown community5. GBC also hosts several dinner series events each semester, where a board member provides a home-cooked meal in a casual social setting for club members6.
GBC works with other student organizations to organize events on campus. For instance, GBC coordinates with Georgetown's College Republicans and College Democrats to host and moderate two annual debates between the clubs: an upperclassmen fall debate and a freshman debate in the spring7. The debates feature questions about foreign policy, economic policy, and social policy, as well as audience questions8. GBC also organizes and hosts speaker events.
Off-campus events
GBC organizes site visits "to politically or historically important sites across the Washington, D.C. region"9. Past locations include the National Museum of American History, the Supreme Court, and the National Archives10. GBC's site visits jointly aim at community-building and reinforcing members' commitment to civil discourse11.
GBC also hosts an annual Collegiate Bipartisan Discourse summit, first held in November 202112. The inaugural summit included the Dartmouth Political Union, Harvard Undergraduates for Bipartisan Solutions, GW's Bipartisan Women's Supper Club, and Left Middle Right13. The summit featured a conversation with Brian Stelter, then a GU Politics Fellow and host of CNN's Reliable Sources, and discussion about the organizations' activities14. Each organization in attendance signed a Statement on Bipartisan Discourse, which included a commitment to "intentionally and boldly model norms of cross-partisan political engagement."15
The Consensus
The Consensus is GBC's media platform and includes an online publication, a podcast, and a weekly radio show16. The podcast and radio show each explore a topic and examine several viewpoints, while the publication hosts a wide range of content on political issues17.
- 1Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 32.
- 2Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 32.
- 3Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 32.
- 4Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 33.
- 5Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 32.
- 6Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 35.
- 7Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 39.
- 8Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 39.
- 9Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 37.
- 10Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 37.
- 11Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 38.
- 12Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 41.
- 13Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 41.
- 14Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 41.
- 15Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 46.
- 16Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 35.
- 17Olson, Todd A. and Gjalt R. Smit. "Liberal Democracy In Peril: Where We Stand, Where We Must Go." p. 35.
