What is the value of civility? Have we ever enjoyed a real period of so-called civility, and can we achieve it now? Learn about the importance of maintaining civility in political discourse, with Ohio State University Political Science Professor Herb Asher and author and Fox News political analyst Juan Williams. Dr. Herb Asher is professor emeritus of political science at The Ohio State University and counselor to OSU President E.  Gordon Gee.  He is founding director of the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy. Juan Williams is a journalist and political commentator for Fox News Channel. He is the author of several books, including Eyes on the Prize: Americaâs Civil Rights Years. Williams worked for the Washington Post as an editorial writer, op-ed columnist, White House correspondent, and national correspondent. He has also worked for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio.
Huffington Post: Two former presidents â one Republican, the other a Democrat â will chair a new national institute to promote civility in political discourse in the city where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was severely wounded in a shooting rampage that left six dead, officials announced Monday. Â The National Institute for Civil Discourse will be run by the University of Arizona. Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton will serve as its honorary co-chairmen. "Our country needs a setting for political debate that is both frank and civil, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse can make a significant contribution toward reaching this goal," Bush said in a prepared statement. Clinton said the institute "can elevate the tone of dialogue in our country, and in so doing, help us to keep moving toward `a more perfect union.'"