04-05-2025
We need a return to civility and respect in politics. Here's how we get there
Whether you're a child of the '80s or not, you've likely seen the images: Republican President Ronald Reagan smiling with his arm around Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill.
They disagreed often — even vehemently. But there was respect at the heart of their relationship.
The way our elected leaders talk to one another in public has changed dramatically: bitter partisanship, public name-calling, villainization of political opponents. The practice of building and maintaining relationships, regardless of political beliefs, has deteriorated. Civil discourse is no longer a priority, and we are worse for it.
As citizens, we follow the example of our elected officials. We shout. We cancel. We unfriend. We've been taught not to talk about religion or politics, so we have zero practice discussing difficult topics with genuine respect and curiosity.
The result is a deeply fractured culture that mistrusts people with different points of view. We can't agree on how to advance or even operate the very institutions we rely on to keep us safe, healthy and prosperous.
Forty-five years ago, a group of young Texans from business, professional and academic circles came together to convene the various segments of the state in a nonpartisan, nonpolitical and non-adversarial setting to address the problems confronting Texas. The result: The Texas Lyceum. Today, the Lyceum endures and brings together Texans across political ideology, identity, geography and sector.
Earlier this year the Lyceum launched a Campaign for Civility calling on elected officials at the local, state and federal levels to adopt core values that have stood the test of time; principles that are the cornerstone of our democracy:
• To engage in civil discourse on critical public policy issues facing our communities.
• To seek to understand before being understood.
• And to exercise the ability to disagree without being disagreeable.
The annual Texas Lyceum Poll, which was released this past week, shows that Texans are ready for this campaign:
• 69% of survey respondents believe it is possible for people to disagree about politics respectfully and that nasty exchanges are avoidable.
• Elected officials were cited by the poll respondents as the entity most responsible for causing divisions among Americans (42%). More so than social media (28%), cable news channels (13%) and other countries (4%).
This Campaign for Civility is a call to all Texans — and especially elected leaders — to model the art of listening, understanding and engaging to find solutions. Here are some tactics to consider:
• Befriend people across the political spectrum and engage with them on the issues you care about.
• Remind yourself of our shared values. It's easy to perceive the other side as the enemy, when in reality, most Republicans and Democrats strongly agree on the importance of most values.
• Be willing to acknowledge points of agreement. When engaging with people you disagree with, acknowledge where there's overlap.
• Diversify your media diet with media sources from the right and the left, plus both local and national outlets.
Your political opponent is not your enemy. There must always be room for diverse perspectives. But how we argue matters as much as what we argue. Relationships must always transcend political lines, and that happens when we care more about the person than their politics.
We have an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the traditions of civility, respect and the enduring quest to give the best version of ourselves back to our great state and move our country forward.
Crayton Webb is president of The Texas Lyceum and CEO of Sunwest Communications in Dallas. Danielle Rugoff is a director of The Texas Lyceum, vice president of its Campaign for Civility and founder and CEO of Purple Lexicon.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: We need a return to civility. Here's how we get there | Opinion
