POLARIZED! The Case for Civility in the Time of Trump: An experiment in civil discourse on Facebook

The United States is more politically polarized than during any period since the Civil War. Jeff Rasley's data-driven historical research and use of reliable metrics proves the claim that the country is even more divided than in the 1960s, when civil rights and the Vietnam War separated the country into hostile camps. Can this dangerous trend be reversed, or is the USA on a roller coaster ride toward another civil war? Polarized! in the Time of Trump offers a glimmer of hope based upon an experiment the author performed on Facebook.

Truth and decency are not new victims in US politics. American icons such as Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln engaged in dirty tricks comparable to Richard Nixon’s. But Jeff Rasley makes the case with expert testimony and statistical data that social media is the most dangerous weapon ever used to mislead voters with fake news and to intensify ideological extremism and political polarization. Attacks through social media by Putin, the Chinese, Iran, and weaponized bots pose tremendous risks to the democratic process. Add Donald Trump's polarizing personality and intentionally divisive political strategy into the mix, and the result is a dangerously toxic political culture.

So, as an experiment to determine whether civil discourse between pro and anti Trump voters is even possible, Rasley hosted a discussion forum on Facebook, which included over 80 self-proclaimed Blues and Reds. The rules were similar to those developed by Better Angels. The experiment was surprisingly successful. Weekly discussions of hot-button political issues occurred with only a few interventions to maintain civility. A method for depolarization was discovered.

However, Rasley explains in the Afterword and the Postscript how dim that glimmer of hope for a reduction in polarization has become with Trump still in control of the Republican Party. And, as an aside, he also relates that he supervised Mike Pence as a legal intern. Why the firm did not hire Pence is also disclosed.

Jeff Rasley is the author of the acclaimed Godless - Living a Valuable Life beyond Beliefs. Other books by Jeff Rasley are listed on his Amazon Author page.