Restoring Decency to American Political Discourse

Restoring Decency to American Political Discourse PDF Author: Morgan Swift
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Political discourse in America has devolved to insults, mud-slinging and falsehoods. The very survival of our political system and perhaps democracy itself depend on a return to decency in political discourse. Achieving this in the age of social media is significant challenge. The author proposes a path forward to address this challenge.

Restoring Decency to American Political Discourse

Restoring Decency to American Political Discourse PDF Author: Morgan Swift
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Political discourse in America has devolved to insults, mud-slinging and falsehoods. The very survival of our political system and perhaps democracy itself depend on a return to decency in political discourse. Achieving this in the age of social media is significant challenge. The author proposes a path forward to address this challenge.

A Crisis of Civility?

A Crisis of Civility? PDF Author: Robert G. Boatright
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351051962
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
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 questions: 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.

The Death of Politics

The Death of Politics PDF Author: Peter Wehner
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062820818
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
The New York Times opinion writer, media commentator, outspoken Republican and Christian critic of the Trump presidency offers a spirited defense of politics and its virtuous and critical role in maintaining our democracy and what we must do to save it before it is too late. “Any nation that elects Donald Trump to be its president has a remarkably low view of politics.” Frustrated and feeling betrayed, Americans have come to loathe politics with disastrous results, argues Peter Wehner. In this timely manifesto, the veteran of three Republican administrations and man of faith offers a reasoned and persuasive argument for restoring “politics” as a worthy calling to a cynical and disillusioned generation of Americans. Wehner has long been one of the leading conservative critics of Donald Trump and his effect on the Republican Party. In this impassioned book, he makes clear that unless we overcome the despair that has caused citizens to abandon hope in the primary means for improving our world—the political process—we will not only fall victim to despots but hasten the decline of what has truly made America great. Drawing on history and experience, he reminds us of the hard lessons we have learned about how we rule ourselves—why we have checks and balances, why no one is above the law, why we defend the rights of even those we disagree with. Wehner believes we can turn the country around, but only if we abandon our hatred and learn to appreciate and honor the unique and noble American tradition of doing “politics.” If we want the great American experiment to continue and to once again prosper, we must once more take up the responsibility each and every one of us as citizens share.

Divided We Fall

Divided We Fall PDF Author: David French
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1250201985
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
David French warns of the potential dangers to the country—and the world—if we don’t summon the courage to reconcile our political differences. Two decades into the 21st Century, the U.S. is less united than at any time in our history since the Civil War. We are more diverse in our beliefs and culture than ever before. But red and blue states, secular and religious groups, liberal and conservative idealists, and Republican and Democratic representatives all have one thing in common: each believes their distinct cultures and liberties are being threatened by an escalating violent opposition. This polarized tribalism, espoused by the loudest, angriest fringe extremists on both the left and the right, dismisses dialogue as appeasement; if left unchecked, it could very well lead to secession. An engaging mix of cutting edge research and fair-minded analysis, Divided We Fall is an unblinking look at the true dimensions and dangers of this widening ideological gap, and what could happen if we don't take steps toward bridging it. French reveals chilling, plausible scenarios of how the United States could fracture into regions that will not only weaken the country but destabilize the world. But our future is not written in stone. By implementing James Madison’s vision of pluralism—that all people have the right to form communities representing their personal values—we can prevent oppressive factions from seizing absolute power and instead maintain everyone’s beliefs and identities across all fifty states. Reestablishing national unity will require the bravery to commit ourselves to embracing qualities of kindness, decency, and grace towards those we disagree with ideologically. French calls on all of us to demonstrate true tolerance so we can heal the American divide. If we want to remain united, we must learn to stand together again.

Imposing Decency

Imposing Decency PDF Author: Eileen Findlay
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 9780822323969
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
The interrelationship between sexuality and national identity during Puerto Rico's transition from Spanish to U.S. colonialism.

Truth Decay

Truth Decay PDF Author: Kavanagh
Publisher: Rand Corporation
ISBN: 1977400132
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
Political and civil discourse in the United States is characterized by “Truth Decay,” defined as increasing disagreement about facts, a blurring of the line between opinion and fact, an increase in the relative volume of opinion compared with fact, and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. This report explores the causes and wide-ranging consequences of Truth Decay and proposes strategies for further action.

Social Media and Democracy

Social Media and Democracy PDF Author: Nathaniel Persily
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108835554
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
A state-of-the-art account of what we know and do not know about the effects of digital technology on democracy.

First Principles: Five Keys to Restoring America's Prosperity

First Principles: Five Keys to Restoring America's Prosperity PDF Author: John B. Taylor
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393073394
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Leading economist John B. Taylor's straightforward plan to rebuild America's economic future by returning to its founding principles.

Political Correctness in the Era of Trump

Political Correctness in the Era of Trump PDF Author: Luigi Esposito
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1527521761
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
In recent years, debates surrounding “political correctness” (PC) have once again intensified in the United States and other Western countries. Although PC has a long history, the term today is typically associated with a type of leftist-progressive puritanism that prevents people from speaking their minds or voicing uncomfortable truths that might “offend” members of marginalized groups or communities. In many respects, the political ascendancy of Donald J. Trump, and his appeal to millions of people not only in the USA, but around the world, hinges on the belief that his presidency represents a repudiation of the repressiveness associated with PC. Indeed, throughout his political campaign, Trump declared himself to be an “anti-PC” president who would always “speak his mind” and “tell it like it is.” However, while many celebrated Trump’s maverick, anti-PC stance, others saw this as an attack on basic standards of decency and civil discourse. Timely and important, this collection is authored by scholars from various disciplines, and will be of interest to educators, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as anyone interested in the debates associated with the so-called “culture wars” in the West. Each chapter addresses how the PC debate has continued to shape social and political discourse in different areas, including race relations, gender issues, terrorism and national security, higher education, the media, and immigration. The point is made that while some of the criticisms directed against PC are worthy of serious consideration and discussion, it is also true that PC, particularly in the era of Trump, has been increasingly employed as a form of ideological scapegoat to delegitimize and roll back language, attitudes, values, behaviors, and policies that are vital for promoting objectives associated with gender and racial equality, human rights, democracy, empathy, fairness, multiculturalism, and inclusive curricula.

The Soul of America

The Soul of America PDF Author: Jon Meacham
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 039958983X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham helps us understand the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame division and fear. ONE OF OPRAH’S “BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH” • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The Christian Science Monitor • Southern Living Our current climate of partisan fury is not new, and in The Soul of America Meacham shows us how what Abraham Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature” have repeatedly won the day. Painting surprising portraits of Lincoln and other presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and illuminating the courage of such influential citizen activists as Martin Luther King, Jr., early suffragettes Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt, civil rights pioneers Rosa Parks and John Lewis, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Army-McCarthy hearings lawyer Joseph N. Welch, Meacham brings vividly to life turning points in American history. He writes about the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the birth of the Lost Cause; the backlash against immigrants in the First World War and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s; the fight for women’s rights; the demagoguery of Huey Long and Father Coughlin and the isolationist work of America First in the years before World War II; the anti-Communist witch-hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; and Lyndon Johnson’s crusade against Jim Crow. Each of these dramatic hours in our national life have been shaped by the contest to lead the country to look forward rather than back, to assert hope over fear—a struggle that continues even now. While the American story has not always—or even often—been heroic, we have been sustained by a belief in progress even in the gloomiest of times. In this inspiring book, Meacham reassures us, “The good news is that we have come through such darkness before”—as, time and again, Lincoln’s better angels have found a way to prevail. Praise for The Soul of America “Brilliant, fascinating, timely . . . With compelling narratives of past eras of strife and disenchantment, Meacham offers wisdom for our own time.”—Walter Isaacson “Gripping and inspiring, The Soul of America is Jon Meacham’s declaration of his faith in America.”—Newsday “Meacham gives readers a long-term perspective on American history and a reason to believe the soul of America is ultimately one of kindness and caring, not rancor and paranoia.”—USA Today