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 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. 

“Amid significant polarization and political hostility, the opportunity before today’s leaders is to demonstrate that disagreement can occur with dignity rather than humiliation, contempt or violence. America’s governors carry an extraordinary capacity to shape the tone of public life; the Center for Dignity in Politics will provide the tools to model healthy civic behavior and promote the idea that all Americans can disagree without diminishing one another’s humanity.”

Dr. Brandon Tatum

NGA CEO and Center for Dignity in Politics President

“I want to thank the National Governors Association for their leadership in inviting our team to join in founding the Center for Dignity in Politics. This new center stands to call on our elected leaders to treat each other with dignity while also providing practical strategies and resources to help our nation’s governors act and lead in ways that honor the profound dignity inherent in every human being. The work of NGA’s new center is timely, needed, and stands to help transform politics and our country for the better.”

Tim Shriver

Co-Founder of UNITE.Us, Chairman of Special Olympics International, and Founding Chair of the Center for Dignity in Politics.

Our Work

The Center for Dignity in Politics will work to achieve four interrelated outcomes: 

• Create Culture Rooted in Dignity by supporting governors and their teams in modeling leadership that reflects respect, discipline and humanity across disagreement, crisis and public service. Tools and materials that the center will provide will include the Dignity Index; skills training for reducing contempt and strengthening dialogue; models for gubernatorial problem solving, strategies for responding to violence and disaster with dignity; models of reducing dehumanization in communication and speech making; and case studies in legislative and political problem solving.  The center will also partner with major American universities to develop certification and credentialing offers for those who develop expertise in these areas.
• Define and Advance Dignified Leadership by establishing dignity as a visible, measurable, and repeatable standard for public leadership and civic engagement. The center will also localize and expand a tracking poll known as the Dignity Barometer, which will enable governors to monitor the responses and cultural shifts taking place within their states.
• Measure the Impact of Dignity by researching changes in leadership language, civic trust, public discourse and indicators of democratic health to better understand the role dignity plays in effective governance. The center will also uplift the voices of Democratic and Republican governors who disagree with dignity and will hold convenings around the country and amplify the power of disagreeing with dignity.
• Develop a National Cohort of Leaders by cultivating a cross-partisan network of governors who serve as national models for dignified leadership, constructive engagement and respectful governance. The center will establish new communities of practice, including collaborations among speechwriters, press secretaries, legislative directors, political directors, communications directors and others who want to deepen their own capacity to lead with dignity while spreading the message that their governors are committed to dignity in politics, too. The center will also develop creative activations for citizens who are willing to join the dignity in politics movement, offering them opportunities to meet across divides, connect across state lines and become advocates for dignity in politics.

“Governors are committed to delivering for the people of our states – and delivering results is not a partisan issue. The Center for Dignity in Politics bring us all together; and, when we work together in a bipartisan way, we work towards solutions on the issues that matter to the communities that need it most.”

Gov. Wes Moore

Maryland

“Since launching Disagree Better, I’m more convinced than ever that there is an exhausted majority ready and able to change our political culture. I’ve been grateful that so many governors from both parties have joined the campaign. Working together, we really can change the trajectory of our country, and NGA’s new Center for Dignity in Politics will build on many of the principles behind the Disagree Better movement to help my fellow governors and their staff members have the tools and resources needed to continue the work to restore trust in our democracy and our fellow Americans.”

Gov. Spencer Cox

Utah

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.