The Man & Mission
Sol Erdman
biography
Sol Erdman became an expert on resolving political conflict by first becoming adept at conflict itself. His first career was on Wall Street, an arena that Erdman describes as “one of the most highly evolved forms of aggression known to mankind — the right place for me in my 20s and 30s.” During that time, he rose to senior vice president and head of options arbitrage at Oppenheimer & Company.
At midlife, Erdman was drawn to the idea of resolving intense conflicts. Attending the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, he was soon doing cutting-edge research with two of its leading thinkers. By studying their proven methods, Erdman developed new tools for coaxing elected officials to agree on sensible solutions for contentious issues.
To disseminate this new approach, Erdman founded the Center for Collaborative Democracy.
CCD was focused on a project called the Forum for Long-Term Propserity, which brought together the men and women whom the American people would most trust to solve our country's economic problems. The Forum's purpose was to develop a combination of economic reforms to restore our country's fiscal health and promote wide prosperity.
Erdman’s articles have appeared in Barrons, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, State Government News, Roll Call and The Los Angeles Times.
Sol Erdman, GBAN USA CEO
co-author, The Cure
"A great book, brilliantly written. This is the kind of government we might aspire to in the years ahead."
---Amory Houghton Jr., member of Congress (R-NY) from 1987 to 2005 and former CEO of Corning Glass Works
"In this daring book, Sol Erdman and Lawrence Susskind carefully dissect the problems with our system of government and propose a novel way to turn it around. Stretch your mind and read this book."
--Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics, University of Virginia
"Erdman and Susskind lay out a solution that has the potential to benefit every one of us. Every thoughtful voting American who despairs about a political system hobbled by many ills should read The Cure for Our Broken Political Process."
-- Roger W. Stephenson, Executive Vice President of Clean Air-Cool Planet
To read the Introduction to The Cure click here.
To order The Cure, click here.
How to Repair American Democracy
Record numbers of Americans fear that our political process is broken -- for good reason. Our nation faces unprecedented challenges, yet our politicians spend most of their energy attacking one another. All the while, no one in public life has offered a practical way out to neutralize the bitter partisanship that paralyzes Washington.
The Cure for Our Broken Political Process fills that void. The authors show exactly how concerned citizens can get politicians from all camps to negotiate genuine solutions to the most vexing issues. Sol Erdman and Lawrence Susskind base their case on their thirty years of experience in resolving political conflict.
The Cure begins with hard evidence that our country could work out practical solutions to nearly every major controversy that now divides us, solutions that all sides could support. Why, then, don’t our politicians seek out those solutions? The authors debunk all the accepted explanations and then uncover the real reason. By telling the story of a concerned citizen who runs for Congress, the book shows that two basic features of our elections virtually compel politicians to bicker endlessly over national problems. So as long as our elections work as they do today, our lawmkers will keep on fighting, leaving the critical issues unresolved.
The authors then spell out how to redesign elections so that politicians would win only if they produced useful results -- only if they negotiated practical solutions to pressing problems. The book concludes with a step-by-step plan proving that ordinary citizens have the power to bring about these changes. To anyone who fears that our country’s future is in peril, The Cure offers a realistic path to a political process they can genuinely believe in.
About the Author
Sol Erdman served as the president of the Center for Collaborative Democracy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has developed innovative ways for citizens and politicians to resolve ideological conflicts.
Our Unwavering Commitment
Grand Bargain Action Network was founded by Sol Erdman, a veteran strategist dedicated to global human rights policy. As the Chief Executive Director, Sol leads our national efforts with a focus on data-driven advocacy and systemic change.
We combine rigorous research with relentless advocacy to create a more just and equitable America for all people.
Our team works tirelessly to hold power to account, ensuring that the rights of the unheard are defended and strengthened for future generations through action-oriented policy.