This book promotes a coherent, civil conversation between divergent contemporary perspectives in political science, communications, history, sociology, and philosophy to reflect on challenges to civil discourse, define civility, and identify its consequences for democratic life in a digital age.

Robert G. Boatright is Professor of Political Science at Clark University and the Director of Research at the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) at the University of Arizona.

Timothy J. Shaffer is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Kansas State University and Principal Research Specialist for the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

Sarah Sobieraj is Associate Professor of Sociology at Tufts University.

Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Delaware.

Foreword by Gabrielle Giffords. Preface by Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer. Introduction: A Crisis of Civility? [Robert G. Boatright] Part I: How Americans Think about Civility in Politics 1. Two Concepts of Civility [Simon Anthony Laden] 2. How People Perceive Political Incivility [Ashley Muddiman] 3. Perceptions of Incivility in Public Discourse [Kate Kenski, Kevin Coe, and Stephen A. Rains] 4. Signaling Incivility: The Role of Speaker, Substance and Tone [Emily Sydnor] Part II: Instances of Civility and Incivility in Contemporary American Political Discourse 5. "Showdowns," "Duels," and "Nail-biters": How Aggressive Strategic Game Frames in Campaign Coverage Fuel Public Perceptions of Incivility [Dannagal Goldthwaite Young, Lindsay Hoffman, and Danielle Roth] 6. Crises and Civility: Twitter Discourse after School Shootings [Deana A. Rohlinger and Cynthia Williams] 7. Can Civility and Deliberation Disrupt the Deep Roots of Polarization? Attitudes toward Muslim Americans as Evidence of Hyperpolarized Partisan Worldviews [J. Cherie Strachan and Michael R. Wolf] 8. Disentangling Uncivil and Intolerant Discourse in Online Political Talk [Patricia Rossini] Part III: Learning from the Past 9. Seeking a Mutuality of Tolerance: A Practical Defense of Civility in a Time of Political Warfare [John Gastil] 10. The Patron Saint of Civility? Benjamin Franklin and the Problems of Civil Discourse [Steven C. Bullock] 11. Enabling Civil Discourse: Creating Civic Space and Resources for Democratic Discussion [Timothy J. Shaffer] Conclusion: The Real Morality of Public Discourse: Civility as an Orienting Attitude [Deborah Mower]