The majority of Americans think that politics has an “incivility problem” and that this problem is only getting worse. Research demonstrates that negativity and rudeness in politics have been increasing for decades. But how does this tide of impolite-to-outrageous language affect our reactions to media coverage and our political behavior?

Disrespectful Democracy offers a new account of the relationship between incivility and political behavior based on a key individual predisposition—conflict orientation. Individuals experience conflict in different ways; some enjoy arguments while others are uncomfortable and avoid confrontation. Drawing on a range of original surveys and experiments, Emily Sydnor contends that the rise of incivility in political media has transformed political involvement. Citizens now need to be able to tolerate or even welcome incivility in the public sphere in order to participate in the democratic process. Yet individuals who are turned off by incivility are not brought back in by civil presentation of issues. Sydnor considers the challenges in evaluating incivility’s normative benefits and harms to the political system: despite some detrimental aspects, certain levels of incivility in certain venues can promote political engagement, and confrontational behavior can be a vital tool in the citizen’s democratic arsenal. A rigorous and empirically informed analysis of political rhetoric and behavior, Disrespectful Democracy also proposes strategies to engage citizens across the range of conflict orientations.

"Interesting, accessible, timely, focused, and succinct. . . . Carefully argued and methodologically sound, this volume offers fascinating insights on a topic relevant to a moment rife with disagreement, thoughtfully considering the value of both civility and incivility for the survival of democracy in the twenty-first century." - Choice

"There is no doubt this volume is a game-changer for the study of political incivility; going forward, I expect that consideration of heterogeneous effects will become the norm. For scholars of political psychology and communication, as well as those looking to add new and innovative research to course syllabi, Disrespectful Democracy is highly recommended." - International Journal of Press / Politics

"An important and thorough examination of conflict orientation as a key determinant of behavior in a hostile media environment." - Political Science Quarterly

"A novel and thoughtful account of how individual psychology interacts with our media environment to influence key political outcomes in very different ways for different kinds of people." - Journal of Communication

"Well suited for undergraduate and graduate teaching and research in American political behavior and mass communication, and it is written engagingly for general interest readers too." - Perspectives on Politics

"A strong addition to the literature regarding individual traits and political incivility." - Public Opinion Quarterly