What happens when America is condensed into one room? Partisanship fades.

Dear reader:

“The country is not as divided as the media make it seem.”

That’s a quote from a participant in a recent election survey experiment called “America in One Room.” As the name indicates, the project brought together a representative sample of voters from around the country, reflecting the nation’s deep divides on partisanship, ideology, and identity. Over the course of a long weekend in Dallas, they held small-group discussions on five hot-button topics: immigration, healthcare, the environment, the economy, and foreign policy.