Wahl Book Examines Cross-Party Political Dialogue
Rachel Wahl's new book explores what happens when people with opposing political views sit down to talk.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Administration
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Rachel Wahl, chair of the Department of Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development, has published Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in Polarized Democracies. The book examines political conversations between people with opposing views, focusing on understanding rather than debating or scoring points.
Why it matters
The book addresses how political disagreement is experienced by people on both sides, shifting attention from winning arguments to the personal hopes and fears behind them. It offers a framework for readers interested in how conversations across political divides can take place in polarized democracies.
The book is titled Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in Polarized Democracies and is authored by Rachel Wahl. Specific figures, sample sizes, and empirical findings are not detailed in the available extraction.
The players
Rachel Wahl
Rachel Wahl is chair of the Department of Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development and director of the Good Life Political Project at the Karsh Institute of Democracy.
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, home to the School of Education and Human Development where Rachel Wahl leads a department.
The details
The book examines the lived experiences, hopes, and fears that drive political disagreements, based on conversations between people holding opposing political views. Wahl also directs the Good Life Political Project at the Karsh Institute of Democracy.
Timeline
An interview about the new book on political dialogue was published on November 1, 2026.
Administration Context
Wahl's work sits within the University of Virginia's Karsh Institute of Democracy, which studies democratic institutions and civic engagement. Her book extends that institutional focus into the interpersonal conversations that shape how polarized democracies function.
Readers interested in the book can seek out Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in Polarized Democracies through booksellers or libraries. The book may be useful for educators, administrators, and community members looking for approaches to conversations across political lines.
The takeaway
Engaging with people who hold opposing political views begins with understanding the personal experiences and concerns that shape their positions. Approaching disagreement as a conversation rather than a contest may help readers navigate polarized political environments.
Further reading
Explore more on Administration in Charlottesville to see how local education leadership connects to campus-level research.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wdbj7.
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