Center for Dignity in Politics
Governors occupy a unique position in American public life, governing across partisan divides, responding to crises, and shaping civic discourse. At a time when political discourse is increasingly marked by contempt and dehumanization, governors have both an opportunity and a responsibility to model a different way.
The Center for Dignity in Politics equips governors and their senior staff to lead by strengthening democratic culture, reducing the risk of political violence, and proving that disagreement does not need to come at the expense of shared humanity. Housed within the National Governors Association and co-created with Dignity.Us, the center will serve as a trusted, nonpartisan resource for governors who are seeking to elevate the language, practice, and culture of public leadership.
While Chair of NGA, Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s Disagree Better initiative proved that governors can shift how Americans understand political differences and improve discourse by modeling productive disagreement. Now an independent nonprofit, Disagree Better is expanding nationwide through bold campaigns and partnerships with athletes, artists, influencers, and political leaders to show what respectful disagreement looks like in action.
Under Disagree Better, dozens of governors took concrete steps to reduce polarization in their states. The Center for Dignity in Politics will empower NGA — one of the few bipartisan organizations led directly by elected officials — to continue that momentum. Dr. Brandon Tatum, Chief Executive Officer of the NGA and President of the Center for Dignity in Politics, and Founding Chair Tim Shriver, co-creator of the Dignity Index, will lead the work, helping a new generation of elected leaders restore respect and civility in our political discourse.
Our Work
The Center for Dignity in Politics will work to achieve four interrelated outcomes:
Create a Culture
Rooted in Dignity
Support governors and their teams in modeling leadership that reflects respect, discipline, and humanity across disagreement, crisis, and public service.
Define and Advance
Dignified Leadership
Establish dignity as a visible, measurable, and repeatable standard for public leadership and civic engagement.
Measure the Impact
of Dignity
Research changes in leadership language, civic trust, public discourse, and indicators of democratic health to better understand the role dignity plays in effective governance.
Develop a National
Cohort of Leaders
Cultivate a cross-partisan network of governors who serve as national models for dignified leadership, constructive engagement, and respectful governance.
We believe that meaningful goals require more than ambition; they require commitment, strategy, and relentless effort. We bring that conviction to everything that we do, including:
Governor and Staff Training
The Center for Dignity in Politics will provide tailored training for governors and their communications, policy, and senior leadership teams — equipping offices with a shared language and practical framework for leadership. Activities include:
- Briefings for governors on the principles and practice of the Dignity Index;
- Workshops and scenario-based training for staff, tied to real governing challenges;
- Integration of dignity principles into speechwriting, crisis response, and public statements; and
- Hands-on skill-building in political dialogue and productive disagreement, enabling governors and staff to transform how they communicate in their roles.
Cross-Partisan Governor Dialogues
Building on models like Disagree Better events, the center will convene governors from opposite parties in moderated, values-forward conversations focused on leadership and democratic norms — not partisan debate. Designed for both in-room impact and public visibility, the dialogue will help normalize disagreement without contempt at the highest level of state leadership. The center will also support governors in hosting their own events and integrate respect-in-politics content into NGA’s Winter Meeting, Summer Meeting, and New Governors Leadership Forum.
Facilitated Cross-Partisan Problem Solving
The center will support governors in working across party lines within their own states (especially with legislators from another party) or on complex, stalled policy challenges through facilitated bipartisan working groups, issue-specific pilot projects, case studies and profiles of the Dignity Index in action.
Media, Storytelling and Public Engagement
To amplify impact, the center will develop media and publications that highlight governors’ leadership and successes — including short-form videos and shareable digital assets, case studies and profiles of leadership, thought leadership pieces published through NGA and partner channels, and partnerships with athletes, artists, and influencers to show what healthy disagreement looks like in action. These efforts will make respect visible, contagious, and aspirational when dignity is shown to others.
Measurement, Evaluation and Learning
The center will integrate measurement and evaluation into its work by conducting baseline and follow-up measurement of discourse quality and leadership culture indicators, evaluating program impact on public dialogue, and producing learning briefs that share evidence-based insights across the governor community.
