Summer 2026 marks 250 years since America’s independence, a milestone that comes at a time when party affiliation is nearly evenly divided. Pew Research Center reported July 14 that “47% identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, and 43% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.”
Animosity between members of the two parties can be fierce, and civil discourse has become increasingly rare.
But students in the heart of America’s political life are seeking to change that narrative.
Less than a mile from the White House, the presidents of the College Democrats Club and College Republicans Club at The George Washington University (GW) organized a Bible study that invited students from both political parties to discuss sacred Scripture and their shared faith.
“Both Kieran and I noticed that his people were interested in joining the faith and my people were interested in turning to the faith, and we wanted to come together and try to find unity above politics within Christ,” Emily-Anne Santiago, president of the College Democrats and then-senior political science student, told the Register of her collaborative effort with Kieran Laffey, president of the College Republicans and a junior political science major, to launch a bipartisan
