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Bi-Weekly Discussion - (Why) Is Our Civic Virtue Declining?

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Brian B.
Bi-Weekly Discussion - (Why) Is Our Civic Virtue Declining?

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This is going to be an online meetup using Zoom. If you've never used Zoom before, don't worry — it's easy to use and free to join.

Click on the Zoom link below at the appropriate time to log into the discussion...

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ARE WE THE PROBLEM: IS OUR CIVIC VIRTUE DECLINING - AND IF SO, WHY?

INTRODUCTION:

Last month, we had a meetup where entitled "(Why) Is American Leadership Declining?" where we discussed allegations that U.S. politicians are becoming less intelligent, too narrowly specialized, too old, too complacent, too rich, too beholden to special interests, and/or too extreme. Therefore, in this meetup, we'll turn our critical lens on the American electorate and ask to what extent our current problems are partly a result of a decline in "civic virtue" among the populace.

So what do we mean by "civic virtue"? Some of you may remember a meetup back in April 2023, where we discussed some of the intellectual virtues that are useful for understanding & discussing politics in a constructive manner with an emphasis on trying to find a "golden mean" by balancing contradictory values: intellectual autonomy vs intellectual humility, moral integrity vs prudence, empathy vs objectivity, civility vs bluntness/firmness. However, those sorts of intellectual virtues take quite a bit of work to cultivate, and so it may be unrealistic to expect the majority of Americans to do so. And it would also be quite hard to measure. So are there some more modest civic virtues that we can assess on a broader scale? That's what we want to find out...

In this 1st section, we'll discuss the factors behind the declining trust in government and institutions since the 1970s as revealed by public opinion polls. There's a concern by many social scientists that this could lead to America slowly becoming a "low-trust society" which is typically only seen in poor countries which are kinship-based and have difficulty maintaining a trusted court system, private property rights, acceptance of electoral outcomes, and voluntary tax payment. We'll assess whether or not this decline in trust in institutions is warranted, and how it may affect our democracy - e.g. leading people to disengage from the political process, distrust the mainstream media & experts, and/or to see the government as so corrupt that only anti-democratic measures can fix it.

In the 2nd section, we'll discuss the decline in "civic participation" - i.e. engagement with the political process (e.g. voting, city council meetings) as well as group activities that benefit either members (e.g. social clubs, religious groups, book clubs, recreational sports) or their community at large (e.g. parent-teacher associations, charities). This is related to America's long-term decline in "social capital" - i.e. the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively, famously detailed in the sociologist Robert Putnam's book "Bowling Alone" (2000). We'll discuss how this decline in social capital has led to a "loneliness epidemic" in America which was already labeled a crisis in 2017 by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and may have been exacerbated by a post-COVID shift toward working from home.

In the 3rd section, we'll discuss some of the allegations that have been made by many political pundits about a rise in selfishness, immaturity, and poor work ethic among younger Americans (i.e. Millennials & Gen-Z), as well as counterarguments about how this is either an overblown moral panic about "kids these days" from a nostalgic older generation or is real but reflects a beneficial shift in the younger generation's preference for greater autonomy and work-life balance. We'll try to assess the extent to which these claims are supported by empirical research from social scientists.

In the 4th section, we'll discuss why America has seen a rise in "affective polarization" - i.e. a negative shift in feelings towards members of the opposing political party - and how this may be related to various social factors like the policy polarization of the two major political parties, the rise of hyper-partisan news channels, and nasty debates & outrageous content on social media. We'll also discuss whether the rise of identity politics is leading to a reversal of the decades long decline in racism since the civil rights reforms of the 1960s.

RELEVANT MATERIAL FROM PAST MEETUPS:

In March of 2017, we had a meetup entitled "The Tactics & Patterns of Political Violence" and in the 2nd section we looked at the "structural-demographic theory" of Peter Turchin which posits 3 intersecting social cycles that drive social conflict within societies over the long term (i.e. popular immiseration, intra-elite competition, state bureaucracy expansion), and how this is related to a shorter "father-son cycle" that leads to an uptick in social conflict about every 50 years in American history.

In a meetup back in March of 2019, we discussed the theory that cheap goods from overseas & outsourcing of manufacturing jobs caused unemployment and "diseases of despair" (drug & alcohol abuse, suicide) among America's white working class and led to the rise of the right-wing populism that elected Trump.

In a meetup in March 2019, we explored allegations that there's a "depression epidemic" in America and potential causes for it, including declining social capital & rising loneliness, economic problems & work stress, and sedentary lifestyle & poor diet.

Back in Dec. 2019, we had a meetup entitled "Can We Depolarize Politics?" and in the 1st section we looked at possible causes of affective and ideological polarization among voters, such as increasingly partisan news, social media echo chambers, geographic self-sorting into "Blue" cities and "Red" rural areas, and the magnification of social tensions by wage stagnation and shifting racial demographics.

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DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

The videos & articles you see linked below are intended to give you a basic overview of some of the major debates over alleged decline Americans' trust in institutions & civic participation, and increases in selfishness, depression, loneliness, and intolerance. As usual, I certainly don't expect you to read all the articles prior to attending our discussion. The easiest way to prepare for our discussion is to just watch the numbered videos linked under each section - the videos come to about about 44 minutes total. The articles marked with asterisks are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.

In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. I've listed some questions under each section to stimulate discussion. We'll do our best to address most of them, as well as whatever other questions our members raise. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

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I. EXPLAINING AMERICANS' DECLINING TRUST IN GOV'T & INSTITUTIONS:

  • WHAT SORTS OF GLOBAL FACTORS MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY NOT ONLY THE U.S. BUT MANY OTHER DEVELOPED DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES (UK, FRANCE, JAPAN) HAVE SEEN TRUST IN GOV'T DROP BELOW 50% IN RECENT DECADES? WHY MIGHT TRUST HAVE REMAINED HIGH (OVER 80%) IN SWITZERLAND, NORWAY & FINLAND?
  • WAS THE DROP IN GOV'T TRUST IN THE 1970s MORE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE LOSS IN VIETNAM, WATERGATE OR STAGFLATION? HOW DID SUBSEQUENT FOREIGN POLICY DEBACLES, CORRUPTION SCANDALS & ECONOMIC CRISES AFFECT TRUST IN GOV'T?
  • HOW DOES THE PRESIDENCY & CONGRESS SWITCHING FROM ONE PARTY TO ANOTHER AFFECT TRUST IN GOV'T BY PARTY?
  • WHY DO POLLS PARADOXICALLY SHOW THAT MANY AMERICANS WANT THE GOV'T TO DO MORE EVEN AS DISTRUST HAS RISEN?
  • TO IMPROVE TRUST IN GOV'T, SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOV'T DO MORE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC & SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS, OR INCREASE RESPONSIVENESS TO VOTERS VIA RANKED-CHOICE VOTING & REFERENDA, OR MERELY DO LESS BUT FOCUS ON DOING IT WELL?

1a) PBS w/ Jeff Greenfield, "Has the U.S. motto become ‘In Nothing We Trust’?" (video - 4:34 min.)

1b) ReasonTV, "Why Libertarians Should Want *More* Trust in Government" (video - 3:00 min.)

II. EXPLAINING AMERICANS' DECLINING CIVIC PARTICIPATION & INCREASING LONELINESS:

  • WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINE IN MANY SOCIAL CLUBS, CHURCHES & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AFTER 1960? WAS IT PRIMARILY SUBURBANIZATION, THE RISE OF T.V. & VIDEOGAMES (AND MORE RECENTLY THE INTERNET), INCREASED MOBILITY, AND/OR WOMEN'S ENTRANCE TO THE WORKFORCE THAT LEFT THEM LESS TIME FOR CIVIC ACTIVITIES?
  • WHAT FACTORS EXPLAIN THE MORE RECENT DECREASES IN YOUTH SPORTS & SCOUTING?
  • IS THE DECLINE IN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT SINCE 2010 A RESULT OF RISING STUDENT LOAN DEBT, OR GENERAL YOUTH DISAFFECTION?
  • WHY DOES THE U.S. HAVE AMONG LOWEST VOTER TURNOUTS AMONG DEVELOPED DEMOCRACIES? IS IT MOSTLY VOLUNTARY (THEY DON'T CARE) OR INVOLUNTARY (THEY WANT TO, BUT IT'S TOO HARD)?
  • SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECENT RECRUITING PROBLEMS IN THE U.S. MILITARY & POLICE DEPARTMENTS, OR IS THIS A NATURAL BACKLASH AGAINST FAILED WARS & POLICE BRUTALITY?
  • IS TRUST IN GOV'T "UPSTREAM" OR "DOWNSTREAM" OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION - I.E. DOES GOV'T HAVE TO IMPROVE TRUST TO GET PEOPLE MOTIVATED TO JOIN CIVIC GROUPS, OR IS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

2a) Sam Freeman, "An Evaluation of Putnam's Theory of Decreasing Social Capital in the United States" (video - 2:02 min.)

2b) NY Times, "Why Americans Don’t Vote (and What to Do About It)" (video - 3:36 min.)

2c) PBS w/ Vivek Murthy, "Surgeon General discusses health risks of loneliness and steps to help connect with others" (video - 8:09 min.)

III. ANALYZING ALLEGATIONS OF INCREASED SELFISHNESS, IMMATURITY & LAZINESS - OR MERELY A SHIFT IN PRIORITIES - ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGER AMERICANS:

  • DO POLLS & PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES SUGGEST YOUNGER GENERATIONS HAVE BECOME MORE "SELFISH" & INDIVIDUALISTIC SINCE THE 1960s, OR ARE THEY MERELY FINDING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE TEND TO FOCUS MORE ON THEMSELVES DURING THEIR TEENS-20s?
  • ARE YOUNGER VOTERS MORE "SELF-INTERESTED" IN TERMS OF THEIR POLITICAL POLICY PREFERENCES, OR ARE MOST OF US "SELFISH" IN THAT WAY?
  • CONSIDERING THAT CHARITABLE GIVING HAS STEADILY INCREASED SINCE THE MID-1960s, SHOULD THIS ALLAY OUR WORRIES ABOUT SELFISHNESS?
  • ARE STUDIES THAT PURPORT TO SHOW THAT MILLENNIALS & GEN-Z ARE "LAZY" MERELY FINDING A GREATER PREFERENCE FOR WORK-LIFE BALANCE OVER WEALTH & PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT COMPARED TO PREVIOUS GENERATIONS?
  • DOES A TREND TOWARDS HITTING ADULT MILESTONES (E.G. DATING, LEARNING TO DRIVE, MOVING OUT, GETTING A JOB, BUYING A HOUSE) SUGGEST MILLENNIALS & GEN-Z ARE LESS MATURE, OR MERELY THAT A TOUGHER ECONOMY IS CONSTRAINING THEIR OPTIONS?

3a) CBS News w/ Anne Fulenwider & John Tierney, "Selfish U.S.?: Study says country becoming more self-centered" (video - 4:55 min.)

3b) Eliza Filby, "Why are millennials delaying adulthood?" (video - 4:55 min.)

IV. EXPLAINING AFFECTIVE POLITICAL POLARIZATION IN AMERICA & ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ACCEPTANCE & TOLERANCE:

  • IS "AFFECTIVE POLARIZATION" MORE RELATED TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC & POLICY POLARIZATION OF REPUBLICANS & DEMOCRATS SINCE THE 1970s OR THE RISE OF PARTISAN NEWS CHANNELS IN THE 1990s & SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE 2000s?
  • TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RISE IN CLOSE ELECTIONS LEAD TO MORE NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNS ADS & "CONSTITUTIONAL HARDBALL" IN CONGRESS, WHICH IN TURN LEADS TO MORE ANGRY MESSAGING THAT FEEDS POLARIZATION?
  • HAS THE "BROWNING OF AMERICA" CAUSED A WHITE BACKLASH THAT WORSENED POLARIZATION, OR IS IT MORE RELATED TO WAGE STAGNATION THAT MAKES MORE ECONOMIC ISSUES (E.G. IMMIGRATION, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION) SEEM LIKE WIN-LOSE SITUATIONS?
  • DO POLLS RESULTS AS WELL AS "REVEALED BEHAVIORS" (E.G. INTERRACIAL DATING & MARRIAGE) SUGGEST THAT AMERICA HAS BECOME A MORE RACIALLY TOLERANT NATION, OR IS THIS COUNTERACTED BY THE WAR RACE IS LINKED TO POLITICAL PARTIES?

4a) Yphtach Lelkes, "Affective Polarization: Understanding Division in American Politics" (video - 2:51 min.)

4b) More in Common Show w/ Steven Pinker, “America is much less racist now” (video - 4:55 min.)

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