Democracy is, by its very nature, often rude. But there are limits to how uncivil we should be. In the 2010 edition of Rude Democracy, Susan Herbst explored the ways we discuss public policy, how we treat each other as we do, and how we can create a more civil national culture. She used the examples of Sarah Palin and Barack Obama to illustrate her case. She also examined how young people come to form their own attitudes about civility and political argument. In a new preface for this 2020 edition, the author connects her book to our current highly contentious politics and what it means for the future of democratic argument.

The book is published by Temple University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

Winner of the Doris Graber Award, American Political Science Association

"A contribution that all future scholarly work on incivility cannot ignore." (Journal of Politics)

"A contribution to the literature of history, ethics, and public affairs...." (Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly)