Rude Democracy: Civility and Incivility in American Politics

by Susan Herbst

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. 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. Turning 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 Palin's and Obama's roles in the 2009 health care debate. Finally, in a fascinating chapter, Herbst examines how young people come to form their own attitudes about civility and political argument.
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. 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2010

Reviews

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This far too short volume does a decent job reminding us of the political climate of 2008, which is arguably when civility in politics started to fall asunder. It is very good about examining the emotional appeal of Sarah Palin to voters, as well as exhuming memories of the angry town hall meetings that arrived with the Obamacare debates. But it is too short. It really demanded more rigor, particularly given the direction that American politics moved in less than a decade after this book was published.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one dominant word I'd use to describe this book is fair. Herbst makes every effort to be a fair-minded critic and observer of the politics of civility, focusing on the 2008 US presidential race. I can quibble with some of the edges of some of her points and examples, but most often, I found myself nodding in agreement. An argument for political dialogue based on facts, respect for varying viewpoints and civility, Rude Democracy is at its best when Herbst argues that political observers today need a thicker skin than I believe our culture seems to be able to produce.