by jpitney | Dec 31, 2023 | Civility, Congress, Donald Trump, Violence
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) in NYT: Mr. Trump’s style of politics — the disrespect, prejudice, name-calling and malice that too often get swept aside as his just calling it as he sees it — makes healthy debate and discussion virtually impossible. The word “congress” by...
by jpitney | Dec 25, 2023 | Civility, Religion
E.J. Dionne at WP: Okay, maybe I’m getting soupy and sentimental at Christmastime. (It’s a weakness I have.) I’d agree we cannot wish away the deep and fundamental conflicts of this moment or the need to battle for democratic values. But if we can’t ponder a different...
by jpitney | Dec 24, 2023 | Civility, Debate, Deliberation
Arthur Brooks interview at Politico: It’s statistically impossible that I’m right on everything that I think. I’m wrong on a bunch of stuff and the only way I’m going to figure that out is by surrounding myself with and having loving conversations where I listen to...
by jpitney | Dec 21, 2023 | Civic Education, Civility, Deliberation
Dan Balz at WP: Longwood University, a public institution, is located in Farmville [VA]. Its leaders have instituted a curriculum called Civitae that encourages active citizenship and perhaps over time a reduction in the country’s tensions and divisions. “We are...
by jpitney | Dec 5, 2023 | Civility, State Government
Schreckhise, W., Pierce, J., Benjamin, F., Lovrich, N., & Button, E. (2023). Legislative Civility, Gridlock, Polarization, and Productivity. State Politics & Policy Quarterly, 1-22. doi:10.1017/spq.2023.23 To what extent are more civil legislatures able to...
by jpitney | Dec 2, 2023 | Civility, Judiciary, Supreme Court
Evan Thomas at WP: O’Connor, who cast the decisive vote in 330 cases over 24-plus years on the court and wrote the controlling opinions on major social issues such as abortion and affirmative action, understood that power and influence should be wielded with good...
