Inspire, Spring 2012

Putting Polite Back into Politics by Dr. Deborah (Bush) Haffey ’68 Washington, D.C., is a great place for a professor of political communication to find herself. When the department of history and government invited me to teach the D.C. Semester in fall 2011, I immediately agreed. Here was my chance to hang out in the city that has been the setting of much of my media consumption — whether reading political opinion and political novels or watching political films. I spent four heady months teaching the students who became D.C. interns, introducing them to historical and cultural events, arranging meetings with professionals in the city (many of whom are Cedarville alumni), and listening to leading national journalists and political thinkers. The class focused on, among other topics, the communication standards for civil discourse in a democracy. With the 2012 presidential election looming closer, it couldn’t have been a better time to consider this issue. Whether watching public debates or engaging in private conversations, we’ve witnessed how quickly a healthy dialogue can turn into argumentative rhetoric that ultimately degrades our democracy. Discussing these ideas in D.C. emphasized what’s at stake in civil discourse. Along with my students, I was reminded of the responsibility we have as American citizens to engage political discourse with integrity and respect. Democracy Essentials The German sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habermas made famous the idea of a “public square” — a place where citizens come together to discuss public “Along with my students, I was reminded of the responsibility we have as American citizens to engage political discourse with integrity and respect.” 42 SPRING 2012