SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

LESSON 2 - CIVIL DISCOURSE

Key Takeaway: This lesson will promote and encourage dialogue concerning opposing
viewpoints. Through debate of both common ground and the issues that divide, students can
begin to appreciate the essential role of civil discourse in our society. With this greater
understanding they can begin to see why discourse has suffered and, more importantly, how we
can bring it back into our politics.

Lesson Structure:
1. Begin the class by watching the chapter Discourse [15 minutes]
2. Initial Discussion on student reactions to the film (details below) [10 minutes]
3. Classroom activity: Three ways to examine the state of Discourse [15 minutes]
in our Politics
4. Assignment: Our Country and Civil Discourse [5 minutes]

Initial Discussion: After watching the Civil Discourse chapter of the film, give students the
opportunity to share their reactions. Have the class list the causes the film cites for the
deterioration of political discourse in our civic experience –

1. Soundbyte dominated dialogue

2. Candidates appealing to their party’s base
3. Focus on divisive topics as campaign strategy
4. Negative Campaigns & the Politics of Personal Destruction
5. Predominance of homogeneous, likeminded communities

Through a show of hands, have students rank the characteristics according to their impact on the
national discourse. Follow this with a group discussion in which the students support and defend
their choices.

Select one characteristic to examine more closely. Below is an example of how you might lead a
discussion on the impact of candidates appealing to their party’s base -

[Note – In these discussions focus on their experiences in their own communities so they can
begin to clearly see the direct relationship between our political process and their daily lives.]

Appealing to the Party’s Base: The commonly employed strategy of appealing to the party faithful
to ensure their support in an election.
o What does it mean to appeal to the party’s base
• In terms of policy positions?
• In terms of stump speech language?
o Cite specific examples of each from the current election
o How does this affect the dialogue between citizens across the country?
• Those on opposite sides of the political aisle? Why?
• Those on the sames side of the political aisle? Why?
o What are the possible long term effects of this strategy on the national dialogue?
 SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

CLASS ACTIVITY - DISCOURSE IN AMERICA

TODAY
This lesson plan provides three different ways of looking at the state of discourse and debate in
America today.

1. Who’s to Blame? [Introductory Level]

This class activity explores questions of responsibility for the current state of discourse in
our politics – a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of an educated citizenry
(and therefore education) in the promotion and maintenance of civil discourse and
substantive debate in the public square.
2. What’s in a Quote? [Intermediate Level]
This class activity explores our national dialogue through the lens of the stereotypes and
commonly held assumptions about red states and blue
3. Market Failure [Advanced Level]
A study of the “Marketplace of Ideas” and the importance of substantive debate in
ensuring its vitality and effective functioning.
 SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

WHO’S TO BLAME?
Introduce the students to the following two hypotheses –

The politicians and the media simplify and polarize our discourse, and we can’t blame
citizens because they are simply following the example set by our leaders.

Citizens aren’t interested in (or capable of) productive dialogue, so we can’t blame the
politicians and the media for giving the people what they want.

Conduct a class poll with a show of hands indicating support for each statement. Through group
discussion explore each hypothesis in greater depth, developing two arguments in support of each
based on their personal experience during this election.

[Note: Successful discourse and compromise require both parties to exhibit empathic
understanding of the opposing sides’ views – a skill required in all areas of life, personal and
professional. Therefore, to encourage empathic understanding, have students develop arguments
for the hypothesis they did not support.]

• With arguments have been established for both sides, have the students once again
consider the hypotheses.
• Have their opinions changed? How?
• Is there a new hypotheses the class could formulate that would be a suitable compromise
between the two?

Discussion Questions
Have the students consider the impact of these two hypotheses on the dialogu in the public
square.
• What are the greatest negative consequences of the hypotheses?
• Who do the hypotheses impact most directly?
o Consider issues of public concern that are not debated in the current political
cycle – why are these issues not raised? Who suffers the most from the absence
in the national discourse?
• How can we as citizens help make our national discussion more civic and productive?
Explore different remedies and evaluate their merits according to the following
considerations -
o Degree of difficulty or ease of implementation
o Degree of material impact on the national discourse

[Note: In this discussion, encourage students to see themselves as active participants in the
national dialogue, not as bystanders to a debate. By understanding that their concerns will only
be addressed if they actively and openly voice them, they will see the value and need of positive
civic engagement.]
 SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

WHAT’S IN A QUOTE
Introduce the following quote to the class.

“There is not a liberal America and a conservative America – there is the United States of America.
We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in
our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay
friends in the Red States.”

[Note: Do not tell the students the quote’s source. The goal of this activity is to critically assess
its claims through discussion and dialogue. The approach should not be biased by knowing its
source.]1

Questions for Group Discussion

o What does this quote mean? Go through it phrase by phrase and distill what it contains
about the conventional wisdom concerning red states and blue states.
 What are the common assumptions about liberals/Blue States?
 What are the common assumptions about conservatives/Red States?
o Consider the stereotypes from the previous two questions – which are applicable to your
community? Do they belong primarily to one group? To both groups?
o How have stereotypes been used in this election? Cite examples from both parties.

Now focus the discussion on the impact these stereotypes have on our national discourse.

o Is it predominantly positive or negative? Why? Cite an example for each

[Note: The negative impact is more easily understood. Having students understand that a pre-
conceived negative can also have a positive impact will help them begin analyzing commonly
help assumptions critically and objectively question conventional wisdoms.]
o How do stereotypes affect the discourse of the following groups differently –
 Politicians
 Citizens
 Members of the media
o What are remedies for countering the negative impact of stereotypes on dialogue in the
public square?

1
The quote is from Barack Obama’s speech to the DNC in 2004
 SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

MARKET FAILURE
Present the following quote from Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Act for Establishing Religious
Freedom (1786) on the truth prevailing in its conflict with error.

“Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist
to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of
her natural weapons, free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is
permitted freely to contradict them.”

Have the class list the factors Jefferson cites that must be present for truth to triumph in her
conflict with error.

Through group discussion create a flow chart representing the phases of competition between
contending ideas (truth and untruth) in the ideal competition – “a marketplace of ideas” that
inevitably sees truth triumph over untruths.

Truth Adoption
Introduction of Ideas Evaluation
vs.  into the Marketplace  of Merit  and Acceptance
Untruth of Truth

Based on the flow chart, have the students make a list of the essential factors required for the
marketplace to function as intended.
• Unencumbered flow of information
• Vigorous public discourse
• Respect for dissent
• Informed & engaged citizenry

Discuss specifically the responsibilities of both citizens and elected officials in ensuring the
marketplace functions effectively.

[Note: This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the importance of education in ensuring the
presence of an informed citizenry essential to the effective functioning of the marketplace.]

Questions for Group Discussion

• Consider the marketplace of ideas in our politics. Do the truths about the candidates,
their policy positions, their voting records triumph over untruths? Cite examples from
the current campaign to assess how the marketplace’s effectiveness.
• Discuss the role of dissent in the marketplace – why is it critical that minority views
be allowed to compete with those of the majority? Consider this in terms of when -
o majority view is the position of truth
o majority view is the position of untruth
• What steps can we as citizens take to ensure the marketplace’s effective functioning?
 SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA LESSON 2 – CIVIL DISCOURSE

ASSIGNMENT – OUR COUNTRY & CIVIL

DISCOURSE
Do research investigating the role of civil over the course of this nation’s history. The
investigation can be presented either as a written assignment or oral presentation. Topics to
explore include:

• The Founding Fathers positions on discourse’s role in our Democracy

• Threats to freedom of expression over the course of our nation’s history – eg. The
Sedition act of 1918
• Changes in our national discourse as the result of advances in communication
technology – eg. the invention/proliferation of the wire services, television, internet
• The impact of civic movements on our discourse – women’s suffrage, civil rights
• Consider the impact music & the arts have had in shaping/influencing our national
dialogue