Democracy is, by its very nature, often rude. But there are
limits to how uncivil we should be. In her timely and important
book, "Rude Democracy, "Susan Herbst explores the ways we discuss
public policy, how we treat each other as we do, and how we can
create a more civil national culture.
a
Herbst uses the examples of Sarah Palin and Barack Obama to
illustrate her case. She scrutinizes Palin as both victim and
perpetrator of incivility, including close analysis of her speeches
on the 2008 campaign trail, the tone at her rallies, and her
interactions with her audience. aaTurning to Barack Obama, Herbst
argues that a key 2009 speech reveals much about his own
perspective on American civility as it pertains to contentious
issues such as abortion, and notes, too, what the controversy
surrounding the speech reveals about the nature of public opinion
in the United States. She also dissects PalinOCOs and ObamaOCOs
roles in the 2009 health care debate. aaFinally, in a fascinating
chapter, Herbst examines how young people come to form their own
attitudes about civility and political argument.
a
In "Rude Democracy, Susan "Herbst insists that Americans need to
recognize the bad tendencies and habits we have developed, use new
media for more effective debate, and develop a tougher and more
strategic political skin.a She urges us to boost both the
intelligence and productivity of our debates, noting that the
effort demands a commitment to the nature of argument itself. "Rude
Democracy "outlines a plan for moving forward and creating a more
civil climate for American politics.
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