Description
Book Synopsis The democratic ideal demands that the citizenry think critically about matters of public import. Yet many Democrats and Republicans in the United States have fallen short of that standard because political tribalism motivates them to acquire, perceive and evaluate political information in a biased manner. The result is an electorate that is more extreme, hostile and willing to reject unfavorable democratic outcomes.
In this work, the author provides a host of actionable strategies that are designed to reduce the influence of political tribalism in our lives. The text includes instructions for plumbing the depths of political views; evaluating sources of political information; engaging in difficult political conversations; appraising political data; and assessing political arguments. The first of its kind, this how-to guide is a must-read for partisans who want to become more critical political thinkers.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments viii
- Preface 1
- Part I: Political Identities
- 1. The Nature of Political Tribalism 10
- Part II: Political Opinions
- 2. Placing Party Before Policy 34
- Part III: Political Information
- 3. Acquiring Political Information 56
- 4. Perceiving Political Information 76
- 5. Evaluating Political Information 99
- 6. Evaluating False Political Information 103
- 7. Evaluating Political Numbers 120
- 8. Evaluating Political Arguments 147
- 9. Evaluating Political Elections 168
- Conclusion: Keeping the Republic 181
- Chapter Notes 189
- Bibliography 211
- Index 227
