TOWARD A CIVIL DISCOURSE.

• Date: 22 June 2021
• Author: Timmer, Ann A. Scott
• Published date: 22 June 2021
• Author: Timmer, Ann A. Scott

After French political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville's trip through the United States in the early half of the nineteenth century, he remarked favorably on Americans' exceptional practice of coming together in voluntary associations to solve problems requiring concerted collective action. (1) He observed that while working in such associations, "[s]entiments and ideas are renewed, the heart grows larger and the human mind develops." (2) It was this uniquely American spirit that formed our governmental institutions, created our laws, and solidified faith in our governance system.

Throughout the course of the great American Experiment that is our democracy, working collaboratively and civilly exchanging ideas on issues of deep divide has often been challenging but perhaps no more so than today. At a time when collaborative focus is imperative for managing issues concerning health care, immigration, access to justice, individual rights, and other critical subjects, many have lost the ability or the inclination to listen to unpopular views and engage in civil discourse. Rather than "talking to" others, we have become adept at "talking at" others, often using social media to enlarge and enflame our audience, which has only widened, not closed, the divide on how best to advance solutions to these issues.

Perhaps partially as a result of the divisions crisscrossing our nation, people's faith in our governmental institutions has withered as members of one political party or the other assumes leadership positions with established agendas. According to a 2020...