Our politics are in chaos as we approach a Presidential election unlike any in US history. Sometimes we are handicapped by a lack of understanding how our political system actually works. Unitive Politics looks at the structural foundation of the political system we presently have and how its structures, when examined up close, explain the chaos and injustice perpetuated by our present political culture.

Unitive Politics also looks at the alternative structures we can intentionally begin to put in place in order to achieve positive outcomes that strengthen our communities and promote equal justice. This is not a quick-fix—it is a long-term project that we undertake for our children and grandchildren.

However, this moment in time may just be a time that is so ripe for change that positive change spreads more quickly than we now imagine possible. We may discover that we have what we have because we believe we have no viable alternative. Unitive Politics is a viable alternative.

Sylvia Clute is the convener of the UJ Unitive Politics Practice Group. Sylvia twice ran for state-wide office in Virginia, testing her theory that there IS a constituency for a Unitive Justice approach to policy, law and politics. While she did not win the elections, she did prove her theory—there are many who desire and will support the positive approach to politics that Unitive Politics offers. How well this positive approach will fare when offered by established politicians is untested territory, but terrain to be explored. Sylvia holds graduate degrees in public administration from Univ. of Cal./Berkeley and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a JD from Boston Univ. School of Law.