FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2026
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Launches
Pennsylvania Legislative Exchange
PITTSBURGH, PA — The University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics (IOP), a leading nonpartisan civic engagement and public policy institute, today announced the formation of the Pennsylvania Legislative Exchange (PLE).
The launch of this program builds on the institute’s nearly 40-year history of assembling collaborations that are intentionally bipartisan and bring together elected leaders, civic leaders and academic experts to address complex issues facing the region. By doing so, the institute emphasizes finding common ground as its foundational guiding principle. The IOP provides facilitation, convening, relationship-building, and sharing of evidence-based materials with community leaders and elected officials. This work has led to the creation of innovative regional and state policy recommendations for dynamic and challenging issues.
The Pennsylvania Legislative Exchange is designed to build on the years of experience that IOP brings to relationship-building between policymakers and community civic leaders. It reinforces the notion that Pennsylvania benefits when we all work together.
The PLE is the third state legislative exchange in the U.S. with similar programs established in Michigan and Minnesota in 2025. Staffing of these programs along with the PLE includes the founders of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Congressional Exchange model, which has operated in Washington, D.C., since 2018.
“We chose the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics because of its leadership in working with legislators and civic leaders with an approach to public service that is based on the philosophy of finding common ground,” said Jonathan Perman, founder of the American Congressional Exchange. “The IOP effectively works with legislators and engages community members in problem-solving, which is consistent with the spirit of the PLE.”
Pairs of Pennsylvania General Assembly members from opposing parties will visit each other’s districts, with a special emphasis on assuring these matches introduce the legislators to communities that differ from their own according to geography, economy, culture, politics and community demographics. While meeting in person with community members during these visits, policymakers will hear viewpoints that may be missed in the state Capitol’s busy halls. The program will build collegiality and offer the opportunity to surface new shared interests, priorities, and policy solutions that transcend partisan politics.
Conversations with Pennsylvania state legislators consistently reveal that legislators have a strong interest in working across differences and collaborating to address the commonwealth’s needs. The first pairings will begin shortly, with more to start later this year.
“When the Institute of Politics works with civic leaders and legislators to discuss major issues facing western Pennsylvania, these discussions involve a sharing of information about each legislator’s vantage point, their district’s unique challenges and opportunities, and a mutual desire to make things work for all Pennsylvanians,” said Samantha Balbier, director of the IOP and Elsie Hillman Civic Forum. “This basic human, in real life principle persists and is even more important in our technological and social media-driven world. That’s not to say there aren’t very real differences of opinion about the way to effect change or what changes rise as priorities; this program is meant to open the door and invite problem-solving discussions while first helping people get to know each other.”
For more information, please visit the IOP website.
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The University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics’ mission is to deliver timely information on complex public policy issues to elected officials, community leaders and the public whom they serve and to provide a nonpartisan forum where diverse viewpoints are discussed, digested, enriched and applied to the goal of promoting improved quality of life, government efficiency and economic vitality.