'Religion and politics', as the old saying
goes, 'should never be discussed in mixed company.'And yet fostering discussions
that cross lines of political difference has long been a central concern of
political theorists. More recently, it has also become a cause célèbre for
pundits and civic-minded citizens wanting to improve the health of American
democracy. But only recently have scholars begun empirical investigations of
where and with what consequences people interact with those whose political
views differ from their own. Hearing the Other Side examines this theme in the
context of the contemporary United States. It is unique in its effort to link
political theory with empirical research. Drawing on her empirical work, Mutz
suggests that it is doubtful that an extremely activist political culture can
also be a heavily deliberative one.
