A Crisis of Civility?: Political Discourse and Its Discontents

by Robert G. Boatright (Editor), Timothy J. Shaffer (Editor), Sarah Sobieraj (Editor)

The state of political discourse in the United States today has been a subject of concern for many Americans. Political incivility is not merely a problem for political elites; political conversations between American citizens have also become more difficult and tense. The 2016 presidential elections featured campaign rhetoric designed to inflame the general public. Yet the 2016 election was certainly not the only cause of incivility among citizens. There have been many instances in recent years where reasoned discourse in our universities and other public venues has been threatened. This book was undertaken as a response to these problems. It presents and develops a more robust discussion of what civility is, why it matters, what factors might contribute to it, and what its consequences are for democratic life. The authors included here pursue three major Is the state of American political discourse today really that bad, compared to prior eras; what lessons about civility can we draw from the 2016 election; and how have changes in technology such as the development of online news and other means of mediated communication changed the nature of our discourse? This book seeks to develop a coherent, civil conversation between divergent contemporary perspectives in political science, communications, history, sociology, and philosophy. This multidisciplinary approach helps to reflect on challenges to civil discourse, define civility, and identify its consequences for democratic life in a digital age. In this accessible text, an all-star cast of contributors tills the earth in which future discussion on civility will be planted.

Genres: Politics

238 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2019

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a timely examination of the deterioration of public and political discourse in American politics, which, from an outsider's point of view, appears to be tribal and entrenched and wholly unedifying. This has been particularly evident since 2016, but really the issues were there for a long time before.

Nevertheless one chapter takes a long hard look at the heated rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election. Controversies over free speech and protest on university campuses get another chapter, the trolling comedy of the likes of Sam Hyde, filled with dog whistles, is discussed elsewhere, along with the role of social media in amplifying polarisation.

The book also discusses shifts in public debate in digital fora and examines how mediated communication, such as online news, shapes discourse. All in all, it is a thoroughly analytical look at the decline in civil discourse in American democracy (and those elsewhere should not gleefully point fingers, as much of what is covered can be seen in other countries too, especially those that share first past the post two party systems - but really, anywhere there is discourse). There are some remedies, but perhaps what this book is best for is demonstrating the extent and breadth of the issues. Recognising a problem is the first step (but only one step) towards resolving it.