What is “dignity in public discourse”? It’s a question community engagement expert Tami Pyfer will explore later this month during a special meeting of Washoe’s Board of County Commissioners. The Oct. 24 meeting includes a strategic planning session following Pyfer’s workshop. 

Pyfer is part of a bipartisan team at Unite, a Utah-based nonprofit focused on healing the nation’s political divide. Her team developed a social science tool called The Dignity Index, an eight-level scale to score politicians’ statements based on their level of dignity or contempt. 

The goal of using the index is to restore respect in public discourse and nudge politicians away from language and actions that sow contempt and division—both of which have dominated politics and governing in recent years.

County spokesperson Candee Ramos said, “We anticipate that this will be a valuable workshop for our commissioners as well as for the attending public to set the tone of the meeting, and year ahead, on the right foot.”

Tensions during commission meetings have risen over the past year among commissioners, among groups of community members attending the meetings, and between the board and the attending public as well. 

Public comment has been shut down numerous times for heckling, name-calling, foul language and violating meeting rules. The veil of civility between commissioners has also become thin. 

One instance that highlighted the discord that’s become commonplace at commission meetings came in July when commissioners considered the reappointment of a member of the library board of trustees. Republican Commissioner Mike Clark called out the library board for being a polarizing entity. Democrat Commissioner Mariluz Garcia disagreed, pointing to the crowd of far-right community members who she said fostered the polarization. 

“I can’t even get through my statement without being interrupted,” Garcia said following yelling from community members in the chamber. She added that many public servants were choosing to resign rather than endure disrespectful behaviors from community members.

Keeping score

The Dignity Index, created in 2021 by Unite, scores political speech on an eight-point scale, with lower scores (1-4) reflecting a higher level of contempt, and higher scores (5-8) reflecting more dignity. Experts say contemptuous speech magnifies divisions among people, whereas speaking with dignity and respect can promote civility and reduce discord among people, even if they disagree on an issue.

For example, the speech on Jan. 6, 2021, that led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol would be scored 1 for inciting violence. Speech that demonstrates radical empathy and a lack of hate would score an 8. Other levels of the index include personal attacks on character and competence, mockery, respectful listening and willingness to look for common ground.

The index was piloted in October 2022 by a team at the University of Utah who scored statements made by candidates during the congressional debates for all five Utah districts. Most candidates scored between 3 and 6, with one scoring as high as 7. There was no correlation between scores and political party. 

The University of Utah researchers said the pilot project received a “warm welcome” from the public and that the Dignity Index “highlights people’s own agency in choosing dignity over contempt not only in what they say, but in what they read, watch, hear, and post.” 

They were quick to add, however, that the index is currently limited to assessing individual statements, not a person as a whole.  

Spoiler: Partisan division is widespread

The researchers who piloted the Dignity Index said “the Index could play a meaningful role in addressing widespread partisan division.”

A report released in September by the Pew Research Center noted the public is unhappy about the current state of the nation’s politics, with “widespread criticism of the three branches of government, both political parties, as well as political leaders and candidates for office.”

The Pew study found the majority of Americans feel exhausted (65%) and angry (55%) when they think about politics, and more than a quarter (28%) of the public dislikes both political parties—the highest share in three decades of polling, Pew researchers note. The top word used by Americans to describe the current state of politics is divisive, followed by corrupt, messy, polarized, bad and chaos. 

County commission meetings aren’t the only local meetings that conjure those words. Reno City Council meetings are often filled with tension, condescension and bickering between council members. The condescension boiled over toward a community member in 2022 when Council member Devon Reese chastised a man giving public comment for his attire.

Meetings for the Washoe County School Board have died down to a simmer in recent months, but have had their share of divisive and disruptive moments as well. 

Politicians aren’t the only ones whose speech may score low on the Dignity Index. Many residents providing public comment have been gaveled down for inappropriate speech, name-calling and foul language. They’ve called elected officials and local government staffers evil and incompetent, among other names. 

The team that piloted the Dignity Index said its application to score political speech can trickle down to the community level. 

“The application of the Dignity Index frequently prompts personal reflection on contemptuous and dignified language in day-to-day life,” the study notes. “The Dignity Index can inspire personal reflection and behavioral change, which can prompt societal awareness and change.”