>> ERIC: ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE KNOWN FOR DISAGREEING ABOUT NEARLY EVERYTHING THESE DAYS.

GONE ARE THE DAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER ACROSS THE AISLE.

A NEW SURVEY OUT EARLIER THIS WEEK TAKES A DETAILED LOOK AT HOW THIS YEAR'S LEGISLATURE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE WORKED TOGETHER.

HERE WITH MORE, SHANNON WATSON HEADS UP "MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE," A NON-PROFIT DESIGNED TO FOSTER CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE POLITICALLY.

WELCOME, SHANNON.

NOW, THE RESEARCH IS BASED ON BILL INTRODUCTIONS, LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS, AND BILL RESPONSORSHIPS WITH THE D.F.L.

TRIFECTA, WHAT'S THE BIPARTISAN SCORE CARD?

>> YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING THING AS, WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE A TRIFECTA WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT.

THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE SITUATION.

BUT MINNESOTA'S A REALLY INTERESTING SPOT TO MEASURE BIPARTISANSHIP BECAUSE THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD YEAR IN THE LAST 30 THAT THE -- ANY ONE PARTY HAS CONTROLLED ALL THREE.

SO THAT JUST SORT OF HAPPENED TO BE THERE.

BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS LOOK AT -- WE HAVE THIS RED-BLUE NARRATIVE AND THIS IS RED VERSUS BLUE AND THIS IDEA THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS SORT OF FIGHTING.

AND THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY WHAT THE CASE IS.

IF YOU LOOK AT TOTAL AUTHORSHIP OF BILLS.

IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE CHIEF AUTHOR AND SAY, OH THIS IS A CHIEF AUTHOR IS A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.

AND THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DESCRIBE THE BILL.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL AUTHORSHIP, BECAUSE IN THE SENATE, THEY CAN HAVE UP TO FIVE AUTHORS AND IN THE OUSE, THEY CAN HAVE UP TO 35 AUTHORS.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL GROUP TOGETHER THAT IS WORKING ON A BILL AND THAT HAS DECIDED TO PUT THEIR NAME ON -- YOU SEE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PICTURE AND A LOT MORE PURPLE.

>> Cathy: INTERESTING.

SOUNDS LIKE THE BIPARTISAN WORK THEN IS DONE BEHIND THE SCENES BECAUSE WHEN YOU WATCH FLOOR DEBATES, IT'S CLEARLY NOT THE CASE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, FLOOR DEBATES AND COMMITTEE HEARINGS ARE OFTEN THE THEATER.

AND THAT'S WHERE THEY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE TALKING POINTS OUT.

AND TO SORT OF OBJECT THE RECORD FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED FOR THE NEXT CAMPAIGN.

THIS ORK, ES, EXACTLY, IT'S BEHIND THE SCENES.

IT'S DONE IN OFFICES AND HALLWAYS AND SOMETIMES ON THE FLOOR.

>> Eric: BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO LEGISLATORS PRIVATELY, THEY SAY I WOULDN'T MIND WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE MORE BUT MY ACTIVISTS DON'T WANT COMPROMISE.

BOTH SIDES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT'S SOME OF THE REASON THAT WE SORT OF HESITATED TO PUT OUT SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, BECAUSE IN SOME DISTRICTS, BEING BIPARTISAN IS SORT OF AN ELECTORAL, LIKE, YOU GET PUNISHED FOR IT RATHER THAN GETTING REWARDED FOR IT.

BUT WE THINK ONE OF THOSE REASONS IS, IT'S THE SIGNIFICANT PARTY PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOWING UP TO THOSE ENDORSEMENT CONVENTIONS AND THE MAJORITY IN OUR MIDDLE NAME IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OPTED OUT.

AND IT'S MOSTLY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE MIDDLE OR THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT POLITICS IS TOO UGLY AND ALL THEY DO IS FIGHT, AND THAT'S TERRIBLE, AND I DON'T WANT ANY PART OF THAT.

SO PART OF THIS STUDY IS TO START TELLING THAT STORY OF THE COOPERATION THAT'S GOING ON, SO THAT WE CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT SEE IT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER EVERY WEEK, BUT THERE IS SOME OF THIS WORK HANG.

AND IT'S WORTH SUPPORTING AND IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, GIVING CREDIT TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU ENCOURAGED OR A LITTLE DISCOURAGED BY THE FINDINGS?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M ENCOURAGED.

YEAH, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE DONE IT.

I'LL SAY, THIS YEAR, WITH THE HISTORIC NUMBER OF BILL INTRODUCTIONS WAS A -- IT WAS AN INTERESTING YEAR TO START THIS PROJECT.

BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAND-TRACK EVERY BILL THAT GOT A HEARING.

BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING AT THE BILL AUTHORSHIP AT TIME OF HEARING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS CHANGE.

BUT WE WANT TO SEE, AT THAT SNAPSHOT IN TIME, WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE?

AND I DIDN'T EXPECT FOR AS MUCH URPLE TO SHOW UP ON THE GRAPHS AS IT DID.

SO WE'LL SEE.

WE VERY SPECIFICALLY DIDN'T TELL LEGISLATORS WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS.

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR.

FROM NOW ON OUT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR.

TO YOUR POINT, SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT BE MORE BIPARTISANSHIP.

IT MAY BE LESS.

>> Eric: AND WEBSITE?

>> MAJORITYMIDDLE.COM SLAS STATE OF BIPARTISAN.

>> Cathy: AND YOU ARE A NON-PROFIT.

>> YES, WE RE, SO IF PEOPLE LIKE THIS WORK, PLEASE SUPPORT IT.

>> Cathy: WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP DOING THE WORK?

>> I THINK BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE WHO OPT OUT, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM GETS.

AND THE MORE PEOPLE WHO DISTRUST GOVERNMENT, WHO DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE PROCESS IS FOR THEM, THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD, THAT THERE'S NOT A PLACE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE, HAT'S NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY.

>> Cathy: WE'RE GOING TO LIVELEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD WAY TO LEAVE IT.