Civility Unbound: Contesting a Democratic Value

An urgent interrogation of an eroding norm

Amidst unprecedented turmoil in American Democracy--as norms of conduct in our institutions erode and polarizing, combative behavior is increasingly rewarded--an acclaimed group of thought leaders, policymakers, artists, activists, and scholars interrogate a cornerstone of American politics and society: civility.

In Civility Unbound, these luminaries examine civility and address the question of whether being ＂civil＂ is a fundamental good. Tackling the concept’s core paradoxes, they consider how those in power have defined civility to regulate the norms of ＂acceptable＂ behavior in politics. The collection features powerful contributions: Norm Ornstein discusses how tribalization has pushed political institutions to the breaking point; Jonathan Haidt describes how social media supercharges moralistic anger while dissolving trust and cooperation; Lynn Mie Itagaki unearths the ways in which civility is deployed as a means to delay or defer the pursuit of justice; Karen Jackson-Weaver recounts the history of African American women deploying civility in the fight for universal suffrage; Ricardo Maldonado uses his own life as a Puerto Rican poet as a case study to think about issues of belonging and identity; and Anthony Appiah points to how civility can be a positive means for negotiating our differences.

Together, these essays present readers with a sweeping understanding of the values that set the political environment, addressing how these conventions evolve or deteriorate over time. Ultimately, Civility Unbound offers a potential path forward for redeeming this democratic value, in the pursuit of accepting differences, facilitating dialogue, and encouraging compromise.

Michael DiNiscia (Editor)
Michael F. DiNiscia serves as Director of Research & Strategic Initiatives of the John Brademas Center of New York University. He is the co-editor of Are the Arts Essential?

Ellyn M. Toscano (Editor)
Ellyn M. Toscano is Executive Director of the Hawthornden Foundation.