Incivility isn’t a cause of division in American society.

It’s a symptom.

Cornell Clayton
Clayton

“People become more uncivil because they get passionate about politics because politics matter to them,” said Cornell W. Clayton, director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service and professor of political science at WSU. “We have deep divisions and people care passionately about this, and that’s what produces incivilities.

“Political incivility is everywhere.”

Clayton was keynote speaker Thursday during a day-long conference at North Idaho College. The event, titled “Returning Civility to America’s Democracy: The Promotion of Civil Dialogue,” examined the state of civility in American politics and the relationship between incivility and democracy.

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