It’s been a year since President Trump took office for his second term. Over the last year, Americans have watched the president and his team slash federal jobs, dismantle federal programs and eliminate funding to fields ranging from scientific research to international aid.
But a change that political watchers and historians are also pointing out is a loss of civility in public discourse, as the president increasingly incorporates coarse language, taunts, insults and threats in his daily communications, something that appears to be trickling down not only to his supporters, but some of his detractors as well.
Host Robin Young talks to scholar Keith Bybee, professor of law and political theory at Syracuse University, about the role of civility in public office and why it matters.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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