Let's Talk Politics: Restoring Civility Through Exploratory Discussion

It has become fashionable these days to decry the decline of public discourse and civility.What makes this book unique is that it makes it possible for any citizen to do something about both problems. The first chapter of the book reviews some of the evidence for the decline in civility but then quickly shifts gears to explain in depth why declining civility should concern us all. A follow-up chapter counters a series of common excuses for sitting on the political sidelines. Part II presents a hands-on and time-tested approach for reversing the trend toward incivility—one citizen, or group of citizens, at a time. It presents an overview of the Interactivity Foundation discussion process, an explanation of why it is likely to promote civility, and evidence that it actually has. The book’s last set of chapters amount to a “how-to” manual.They offer easy-to-follow instructions for organizing, conducting, and following up on discussions that can encourage civility.