DEMOPOCRISY


CIVILITY & CITIZENSHIP



"Citizenship requires civility, so civility points beyond itself to permanent and objective moral standards—to the nature of “civil government” and, higher still, to the moral and theoretical concerns of what is rightly called civilization."



To be “civil,” in ordinary usage, means to be polite, respectful, decent. It is a quality implying, in particular, the restraint of anger directed toward others. In this sense, civility is not the same thing as warmth and indeed implies a certain coolness: civility helps to cool the too hot passions of citizenship. When citizens are civil to one another despite their political disagreements, they reveal that these disagreements are less important than their resolution to remain fellow citizens. They agree on the fundamental political questions, even if they differ on secondary issues. Without this fundamental agreement, citizenship would be self-contradictory and finally self-destructive. The French Revolution remains the unforgettable modern example of citizenship’s self-destruction in the absence of civility.


The principle that binds our political parties together—as it binds American citizens together—is allegiance to the Constitution and constitutional morality.


Source: Hillsdale College Civility and Citizenship in Washington’s America and Ours


Hillsdale College

POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN THE U.S.



95% of Americans Want Civility in Politics & 87% Believe it’s Possible to Get There



Large majorities say the tone and nature of political debate in the United States has become more negative in recent years – as well as less respectful, less fact-based and less substantive. Meanwhile, people’s everyday conversations about politics and other sensitive topics are often tense and difficult. Half say talking about politics with people they disagree with politically is “stressful and frustrating.”


Pew Research Center’s wide-ranging survey of attitudes about political speech and discourse in the U.S. was conducted April 29-May 13 among 10,170 adults. Among the other major findings:


Broad agreement on the dangers of “heated or aggressive” rhetoric by political leaders. A substantial majority (78%) says “heated or aggressive” language directed by elected officials against certain people or groups makes violence against them more likely. This view is more widely shared among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents than Republican and Republican leaners.


Partisans demand a higher standard of conduct from the other party than from their own. Majorities in both parties say it is very important that elected officials treat their opponents with respect. But while most Democrats (78%) say it is very important for Republican elected officials to treat Democratic officials with respect, only about half (47%) say it is very important for officials from their party to treat Republican politicians with respect. There is similar divide in the opinions of Republicans; 75% say Democrats should be respectful of GOP officials, while only 49% say the same about Republicans’ treatment of Democratic officials.


Uncertainty about what constitutes “offensive” speech. As in the past, a majority of Americans (60%) say “too many people are easily offended over the language that others use.” Yet there is uncertainty about what constitutes offensive speech: About half (51%) say it is easy to know what others might find offensive, while nearly as many (48%) say it is hard to know. In addition, majorities say that people in this country do not generally agree about the types of language considered to be sexist (65%) and racist (61%).


Majority says social media companies have responsibility to remove “offensive” content. By a wide margin (66% to 32%), more people say social media companies have a responsibility to remove offensive content from their platforms than say they do not have this responsibility. But just 31% have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in these companies to determine what offensive content should be removed. And as noted, many Americans acknowledge it is difficult to know what others may find offensive.


Talking about Trump with people who feel differently about him. The survey asks people to imagine attending a social gathering with people who have different viewpoints from theirs about the president. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) of those who approve of Trump’s job performance say they would share their views about Trump when talking with a group of people who do not like him. But fewer (43%) of those who disapprove of Trump say they would share their views when speaking with a group of Trump supporters.

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Source: Pew Research Center Public Highly Critical of State of Political Discourse in the U.S.


Pew Resaerch Center

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S RULES OF CIVILITY & DECENT BEHAVIOR



George Washington Followed the Propriety the 110 Rules Conveyed Throughout His Life



Washington grew up lacking the gentlemen's education typically accustomed for the children of wealthy landowners. With few people to model his behavior on and an acute awareness of his lack of formal education, The Rules guided Washington's intentional actions, pronounced speech, civility to those of lower ranks, and respect for his superiors. Maxims like Rule 92, "Take no Salt or Bread with your Knife Greasy," and Rule 12, "Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs roll not the Eyes lift not one eyebrow high than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak," indicated general actions to avoid in public.


Other rules delved further into professional and personal actions. For example, Rules 40 and 68 encouraged humility in interaction by stating, "Strive not with your Superiors in argument, but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty," and "Go not thither, where you know not, whether you Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice without being Asked and when desired to do it briefly."


Washington applied The Rules to various aspects of his life. During his military years, Washington expected a high level of decorum and cleanliness from his troops, referenced in Rule 51. He also promoted rules to his family, advising his stepgrandson, George Washington Parke Curtis that, "while a courteous behavior is due to all, select the most deserving only for your friendships," directly corresponding to Rule 56 which stated, "Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation."


Washington's written Rules were originally published, along with various samples of Washington’s writings, in the mid-nineteenth century. They have and continue to appear in various newspapers across the country, and were first published in book form in 1888, with subsequent editions following. The widespread and continued publication of Washington's copy of The Rules has contributed greatly to the gentlemanly reputation that has helped define his image.


Source: Mount Vernon The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior​​


Mount Vernon



THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF CIVILIAN CONTROL OF THE MILITARY



Civilian Control is a Fundamental Part of Our Norms and Constitution



Civilian control of the military is not simply a norm. It is embedded in the nation’s founding. One of the grievances levied against King George III in the Declaration of Independence was that Great Britain had “kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” In other words, soldiers were deployed in the country without the permission of the civilian legislature.


Near the end of the Revolutionary War, there were calls for General George Washington – then more popular than the Continental Congress – to take control of the new American government, replacing a monarch with a military dictator. However, Washington declined. After Washington heard mumblings of a mutiny against the Congress for unpaid wages, he gave a speech in Newburgh, New York, where he emphasized to senior officers the “great duty I owe my Country, and those powers we are bound to respect.”


These principles became ingrained in the Constitution. The president, a civilian elected by the public, became the “Commander in Chief.” The civilian Congress was provided the power to declare war, appropriate money for the military, and create rules and regulations for U.S. armed forces.


Since the Founding, these principles have been emphasized time and again. During the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, President Washington “ensured that his subordinates understood the importance of upholding civil rule of law” while quashing the riots. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln dismissed Major John Key for public criticisms of his war strategy. In more recent times, President Harry S. Truman famously dismissed General Douglas MacArthur after their public disagreements on military strategy in Korea. In his memoir, President Truman later wrote: “If there is one basic element in our Constitution, it is civilian control of the military. Policies are to be made by the elected political officials, not by generals or admirals.”​


Source: Divided We Fall Civil-Military Relations in the United States


Divided We Fall