Respect and Loathing in American Democracy: Polarization, Moralization, and the Undermining of Equality (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Politics & Social Sciences

Theiss-Morse, Elizabeth

Spinner-Halev, Jeff

Politics & Government

University of Chicago Press

A deep examination of why respect is in short supply in politics today and why it matters. Respect is in trouble in the United States. Many Americans believe respecting others is a necessary virtue, yet many struggle to respect opposing partisans. Surprisingly, it is liberal citizens, who hold respect as central to their view of democratic equality, who often have difficulty granting respect to others. Drawing on evidence from national surveys, focus groups, survey experiments, and the views of political theorists, Jeff Spinner-Halev and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse explain why this is and why respect is vital to--and yet so lacking in--contemporary US politics. Respect and Loathing in American Democracy argues that liberals and conservatives are less divided than many believe, but alienate one another because they moralize different issues. Liberals moralize social justice, conservatives champion national solidarity, and this worldview divide keeps them at odds. Respect is both far-reaching and vital, yet it is much harder to grant than many recognize, partly because of the unseen tension between respect, social justice, and national solidarity. Respect and Loathing in American Democracy proposes a path forward that, while challenging, is far from impossible for citizens to traverse.

With Malice toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgments (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

How do citizens faced with a complex variety of considerations decide whether or not to tolerate extremist groups? Relying on several survey-experiments, the authors identify and compare the impact on decision making of contemporary information, long-standing predispositions, and enduring values and beliefs. People react most strongly to data about a group's violations of behavioral norms and the implications for democracy of the group's actions. The authors conclude that democratic citizens should have a strong baseline of tolerance yet be attentive to and thoughtful about current information.

Sullivan, John L.

Marcus, George E.

Wood, Sandra L.

Cambridge University Press

How do citizens faced with a complex variety of considerations decide whether or not to tolerate extremist groups? Relying on several survey-experiments, the authors identify and compare the impact on decision making of contemporary information, long-standing predispositions, and enduring values and beliefs. People react most strongly to data about a group's violations of behavioral norms and the implications for democracy of the group's actions. The authors conclude that democratic citizens should have a strong baseline of tolerance yet be attentive to and thoughtful about current information.

Congress as Public Enemy: Public Attitudes toward American Political Institutions (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

This timely book describes and explains the American people's alleged hatred of their own branch of government, the U.S. Congress. Focus group sessions held across the country and a specially designed national survey indicate that much of the negativity is generated by popular perceptions of the processes of governing visible in Congress. But Hibbing and Theiss-Morse conclude that the public's unwitting desire to reform democracy out of a democratic legislature is a cure more dangerous than the disease.

Hibbing, John R.

Who Counts as an American?: The Boundaries of National Identity

Why is national identity such a potent force in people's lives? And is the force positive or negative? In this thoughtful and provocative book, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse develops a social theory of national identity and uses a national survey, focus groups, and experiments to answer these important questions in the American context. Her results show that the combination of group commitment and the setting of exclusive boundaries on the national group affects how people behave toward their fellow Americans. Strong identifiers care a great deal about their national group. They want to help and to be loyal to their fellow Americans. By limiting who counts as an American, though, these strong identifiers place serious limits on who benefits from their pro-group behavior. Help and loyalty are offered only to "true Americans," not Americans who do not count and who are pushed to the periphery of the national group.

Anthropology

Why is national identity such a potent force in people's lives? And is the force positive or negative? In this thoughtful and provocative book, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse develops a social theory of national identity and uses a national survey, focus groups, and experiments to answer these important questions in the American context. Her results show that the combination of group commitment and the setting of exclusive boundaries on the national group affects how people behave toward their fellow Americans. Strong identifiers care a great deal about their national group. They want to help and to be loyal to their fellow Americans. By limiting who counts as an American, though, these strong identifiers place serious limits on who benefits from their pro-group behavior. Help and loyalty are offered only to "true Americans," not Americans who do not count and who are pushed to the periphery of the national group.

Examining how people want their democratic government to work, this study finds that Americans don't like many of the practices associated with democracy: the conflicts, the debates, the compromises. It finds that Americans don't want to have to see democracy in practice, nor do they want to be involved in politics. If American citizens had their way, political decisions would be made by unselfish decision-makers, lessening the need for monitoring government.

Stealth Democracy: Americans' Beliefs About How Government Should Work (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

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Books by Theiss-Morse, Elizabeth

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Theiss-Morse, Elizabeth. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Respect and Loathing in American Democracy: Polarization, Moralization, and the Undermining of Equality (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Respect and Loathing in American Democracy: Polarization, Moralization, and the Undermining of Equality (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

With Malice toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgments (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

With Malice toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgments (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

Congress as Public Enemy: Public Attitudes toward American Political Institutions (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)

Who Counts as an American?: The Boundaries of National Identity

Who Counts as an American?: The Boundaries of National Identity

Stealth Democracy: Americans' Beliefs About How Government Should Work (Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology)