The book Washington Brotherhood: Politics, Social Life, and the Coming of the Civil War by Prof. Rachel A. Shelden offers an interesting perspective on social life in antebellum Washington, D.C. Among other things, it reveals how Democrats, Whigs and Republicans gathered in "cross-sectional" spaces, including boardinghouses and parties thrown by individuals from a full spectrum of ideologies. 

It's been said that one of the reasons that our current representatives don't get along so well is that, unlike in times past - in fact as recently as the 20th century - they don't stay in Washington to socialize. They go home to the state they represent to mingle among their constituents. Gone are the days when dinners and parties defined a "social season" - roughly December through April, joining together individuals across party lines. 

If we are living, as British historian Niall Ferguson states, in a second "networked era," which started with the advent of the personal computer in the 1970s (the first networked era ran from the 1490s, with the printing press, to the late eightheenth century), in Washington, D.C. social structures can change for the better. We have the opportunity to connect in a new, egalitarian way, if we can find away through current political polarization. 

A good way to start is to explore social rituals which worked in eras past, and revive the best of them. For representatives, this would mean gathering for social reasons, getting to know colleagues and their families across the aisle. It would mean creating a climate of respect and collaboration, and celebration of differences of opinion. Washington's social history includes Freemasons, Houses of Congress, First Ladies and organizations from NAACP to the World Bank. The city has a unique landscape which is constantly evolving. We're in a particularly dark swing, but that can change.  

Comedian Wanda Sykes is starting a "Please and Thank You Tour." Others across the country, like Alexandra Hudson, are also seeking to create something of a civility Renaissance. Let's hope that this wave catches on in D.C. in 2025.