THECURRENTINCIVILITYOF AMERICANPOLITICS

By Michael Garfinkel '29

Why are American politics today so uncivil? We have seen outrageous incivility in US politics that seems to only be getting worse This behavior has been increasing especially since 2016, when Donald J. Trump was elected President. Look at what has happened in this year’s State of the Union addresses, for instance. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia, shouted “Liar!” multiple times to President Joe Biden when he mentioned something she didn’t agree with. After Donald Trump finished his State of the Union in 2019, Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of his speech while she was right behind him These incidents happened in front of the entire Congress and millions of people watching live on TV.

These are all examples of pure political incivility. This has become a growing pattern in American politics Do we want this incivility to become a standard, not just in politics, but in regular life and in schools as well? This kind of behavior has the power to influence many people in the wrong way.

Incivility is not just in public speeches, though. Someone broke into Nancy Pelosi’s house in October 2022, aiming to attack her, but she wasn’t there, so they attacked her husband instead and badly injured him. And, of course, there was the January 6th insurrection, when rioters were basically destroying the Capitol and trying to hurt people, including Congressmen and Congresswomen, because they refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

It is astonishing just how respectful presidential candidates were to each other in the past when there were debates. When John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated in 1960, they treated each other with profound respect They never cut each other off, they always had a calm and professional tone of voice, and they never staged personal attacks against the other person At one point, Nixon said, “Do I disagree with Senator Kennedy? Of course I disagree” And he went on to explain why he disagreed and why he thought his own argument was better.

When you look at the first presidential debate of 2020, in contrast, Donald Trump is constantly directing personal attacks against Joe Biden, interrupting both him and the moderator, and often not making real arguments. By comparison, Kennedy and Nixon respected the fact that each had an argument; they just thought that their own argument was superior to the other’s

In 2008, Republican Senator John McCain showed a great example of respect in politics. When he was running for president against Barack Obama, at a town hall, someone in the audience said they couldn’t trust Obama because he was an “Arab”. In response to that, McCain told the woman, “He is a decent family man that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues” McCain also defended Obama when another person said “Frankly, we’re scared of an Obama presidency”. McCain said back to him “But I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared [of] as President of the United States.” Here, McCain was defending his opponent from personal attacks based on false claims He was separating Obama as a person from his political beliefs With these comments, McCain teaches us a great lesson in respect and truth.

For nearly 20 years, journalists Mark Shields and David Brooks showed a great example of civility in politics in PBS NewsHour shows Every Friday, they had a segment for a part of the show where they would discuss politics. They didn’t agree politically, but they were friendly, civil, and listened to each other They even had a sense of humor Because of their peacefulness and civility, they were able to have a deeper understanding of one another. Shields and Brooks show that you can become friends with people even if you don’t agree on politics

Politicians need to get to know each other and achieve civility so they can form a bond. Because of that bond, they would be less likely to have a huge fight if they disagreed on something Instead, they can have a peaceful disagreement where they get to know and understand each other a lot better. Senators and congressmen and congresswomen need to eat lunch together. If they are friends, not enemies, they will be more willing to listen to one another and work to achieve compromise. When that is the case, politics works a lot better because a lot more gets done. Even into the 1990s, Republicans and Democrats would sit down and have meals together, and that led to them being able to discuss politics peacefully These relationships are truly crucial for a democratic government.

What I find hard to understand is why some politicians think it’s bad to sit down and negotiate with people of the opposite party A lot of them now think this way because they think that their holding onto power is all that matters. However, political power is not just getting everything you want; it is meant to be used for working with and compromising with your opponents and to represent the people. Many American politicians also think that the people in the opposite party are bad because they disagree on certain issues and believe different things However, disagreements are okay in politics and they should be taken for granted. There would be a dictatorship if everyone agreed on everything.

Presidential debates have unfortunately become entertainment shows so people need to reconsider what debates really should be about. Debates are supposed to be discussions about issues that you take a stance on where you are hoping to appeal to the people and dispute your opponent’s stance peacefully. They have great importance because they help some people decide their political views and who they want to vote for They are not meant to make you laugh; they are meant to make you think about what the candidates are saying. Presidential candidates need to go into debates with a planned argument and with respect for their opponent and the moderator The audiences need to listen closely and think about what the candidates are saying.

Getting civility back into American politics will not be the easiest thing to do, but it will be worth it The examples I have used give me hope that American politicians can become respectful to one another once more