Home Page & Areas for Intervention[Our] tentative list of areas to cover will each become a mini white-paper on a specific area, written by a political scientist or other expert, with links to relevant academic work. A theme on most pages will be that these problems are extremely complex, and that reform efforts have often failed or backfired in the past.... we are disturbed by the increase in recent decades in demonization that characterizes American political debate, particularly among politicians and in the media. We are motivated by recent research in moral and political psychology showing what happens when disagreements activate the psychology of good-versus-evil. It becomes more difficult to reach agreements that meet each side's key interests; reasoning becomes far less responsive to facts; and combatants begin to believe that the ends justify the means. When that happens, partisans are more willing to break laws, play dirty tricks, lie, and ruin the personal lives of their opponents -- all in the service of what they think is a good cause. Good people are discouraged from entering politics. Good public servants are driven out of public service.CivilPolitics.orgCPo_118d8d32-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Jonathan Haidt DirectorMatt MotylCodirectorRavi Iyer CodirectorDavid DobolyiWebmasterPoliticians The MediaPolitical Scientists Public Servants_118d9066-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890To find and promote evidence-based methods for increasing political civility._118d9142-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890CivilityBy civility we do NOT mean politeness, decorum, agreement, bipartisanship, or unity. We think disagreement and debate are good things. We think America is well served when political parties represent different viewpoints and then compete vigorously to recruit voters to their side...RespectCivility as we pursue it is the ability to disagree with others while respecting their sincerity and decency. SincerityDecencyIndirect MethodsWe believe this ability is best fostered by indirect methods (changing contexts, payoffs, and institutions), rather than by direct methods (such as pleading with people to be more civil, or asking people to sign civility pledges). Scientific ResearchOur approach is to draw on the best scientific research to understand how we got into this condition, and how we can make systemic legal and electoral changes that can get us out. Assisted Negotiation[Address] how to make negotiations work._118d91ec-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848901Covers research on how to make negotiations work, when moral values and party loyalties make it difficult to reach optimal solutions._118d92be-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Congressional ReformReform Congressional bylaws and party rules._118d9390-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848902U.S. SenateU.S. House of RepresentativesPolitical PartiesThe Senate (and to a lesser extent, the House of Representatives) is broken. Here you'll find a variety of proposed reforms to bylaws and party rules, and our verdict on which ones are likely to work._118d944e-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Cultural Change[Address] cultural changes in the United States._118d9520-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848903Robert PutnamSociologistsSome sociologists have argued that many changes in public life are the result of demographic changes, such as the gradual disappearance of the "greatest generation" and its replacement by the "baby boom" generation. (e.g., Robert Putnam). _118d95f2-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890The MediaAnalyze how changes in the nature of political media has influenced the civility of political dialog_118d96ce-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848904The MediaNewspapers Television Stations Internet UsersSocial Networking ServicesThe press has played a role in partisan debates -- often an unsavory role -- since the founding of the republic. On this page you'll find an analysis of how changes in the nature of political media -- from newspapers to television to the internet -- has influenced the civility of political dialog. [might cover: rise of cable news, especially Fox; televised presidential debates; social networking sites; rise of misinformation campaigns; political economy of media industry...]_118d97aa-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Money [in Politics][Address] campaign finance reform, and responding to the Citizens United ruling._118d9890-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848905_118d9976-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Primaries & ElectionsAnalyze election reforms._118d9ade-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848906The ways that states revise their electoral districts, hold party primaries, and hold general elections may have profound implications for civility within each state legislature, and for the civility of the people elected to the U.S. Congress. On this page you'll find an analysis of the many reforms that have been proposed or implemented. We'll also cover the role of money in elections_118d9bce-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Redisticting[Consider] alternatives for redistricting._118d9cb4-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848907What are the alternatives to partisan control and gerrymandering?_118d9dfe-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Citizen Action[Propose things private citizens can do.]_118d9f0c-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848908Things you can do, as a private ciitizen_118da010-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed0884890Other Topics[Consider other topics proposed by website users.]_118da132-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848909Other [please suggest other topics ..._118da24a-a185-11e2-9e51-046ed08848902013-04-09http://civilpolitics.org/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net