By Diane Kalen-Sukra
Six years ago, I left my career as a municipal chief administrative officer to sound the alarm on what I had experienced as the rampant spread of incivility and toxic culture in communities, the threat it posed to local democracy, and the well-being of all—most urgently those serving in local government.
First, I wrote a book about it titled, Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It, then I embarked on a civility tour of communities that started in Canada and went global and has not ended to this day.
Why has this civility tour not ended?
Because incivility and toxic behavior, once unleashed, spreads like a contagion—unless it is intentionally countered. For too long, we presumed that civic culture is something that happens to us, rather than something that flows from us; from the values and behavior we exhibit, foster, tolerate, and celebrate every day.
Wherever we witnessed local governments facing dysfunction, toxicity and even governance collapse, we presumed it was an “individual problem” not a “social problem.” We personalized it to the community, or to that mayor, or that chief administrative officer, that local government. Often, we laid the blame almost exclusively on external contributing factors, like social media or the negative influence of certain politicians.
It was hard for us to see that incivility anywhere is a threat to civility everywhere. As the expression goes, “So goes the city, so goes the nation”…and in our interconnected world, so go other nations!
During my first keynote on this topic in 2018 to a conference room of Canadian civic leaders, there was significant disbelief that the country had a widespread incivility problem—some even laughed off the idea that unchecked insults or harassment could escalate into threats or violence in Canada.
Earlier this year, France Bélisle, the mayor of Quebec’s fourth largest city, Gatineau, abruptly resigned her post, citing a hostile political climate, including death threats. She is joined by nearly 800 local government elected officials in the province who have resigned since 2021. Quebec Mayors and council-members are now calling for a cultural shift involving citizens, the media, and elected officials themselves.
One of Canada’s longest serving mayors announced to the media earlier this year that “civility in politics” is worse than at any point in his 36 years in office and that it was “damaging” the country. On police direction, he didn’t bring his car to city hall for a year, because it was not deemed safe.
In the home of the Free Speech Movement, the City of Berkely, California, Mayor Jesse Arreguin penned an opinion piece calling on citizens to defend “democracy in the face of incivility” after a “small group of individuals resorted to an intense campaign of harassment and abuse” that led to an elected official being “bullied out of office [this year], silencing the voices of the majority that voted for him.”
Today, we are in the absurd position of elected officials and local governments everywhere having to erect costly security protocols and systems to protect themselves and civic infrastructure from the very people they serve—their neighbors.
Verbal abuse and physical violence against local and regional representatives is on the rise throughout Europe. Even in peace-loving Sweden, they receive training to help them deal with any threats they might receive, and these threats are regularly studied and measured to counter them more effectively.
In the United Kingdom, the security force that protects members of Parliament was given a £31 million injection this year, extending police protection to all local officials and candidates, ensuring they each have a dedicated, named, police officer contact on security matters where needed.
What is the impact of this toxicity in the public square on local democracy?
A new Brennan Center for Justice report found that 40 percent of U.S. local officials are contemplating not running for re-election, due to the rising abuse and intimidation. An equal percentage of officials are steering clear of contentious issues and limiting their public engagements over concerns for their safety. It further reports that this trend disproportionately affects women and people of color, who endure a greater share of the abuse. The implications are clear: this pattern significantly hampers the diversity of individuals, viewpoints, and potential solutions in our public discourse.
Senior staff as well as frontline civic workers are encountering escalating harassment and abuse, which is not only diminishing productivity and service delivery but also exacerbating the difficulties municipalities face in attracting and keeping qualified staff amidst a wave of retirements.
There are an increasing number of people in our communities, including some civic leaders, who believe that “might is right,” “politics is war,” or that threats, intimidation and even violence can be justified. These are authoritarian values that fly in in the face of the civic spirit that supports thriving democracies.
A casualty of this toxic behavior is a decline in trust in our public institutions and in each other. This weakens our ability to collaborate and cooperate to solve the tsunami of complex challenges our local governments face, from infrastructure deficits to homelessness.
What steps can we take to reverse the tide of declining civility?
While the road to civic culture renewal is multifaceted and includes collective action, it starts with individual responsibility:
- Choose to be civil, to stand up for others, rather than stand by. Engage with others with empathy and respect, fostering an environment where diverse voices are not only shared, but heard and valued. By opposing incivility, intimidation, and abuse in all its forms, we ensure such behaviors find no foothold in our communities.
- Elect civil people. Remember that our decisions at the voting booth have the power to shape the tone of public discourse and effectiveness of local governance. Don’t miss the opportunity of this pivotal election year. Elect civic leaders who not only profess, but also practice respect and civility.
These actions, while foundational, are just the beginning. True civic culture renewal requires a commitment to nurturing the entire ecosystem of democracy, starting with our personal spheres of influence.
Sometimes we can only positively influence our department, or a few individuals on council or one citizens’ group. I call these “Civility Circles” — vital spaces for practicing pro-social civic skills that build shared understanding, engage and hear diverse voices; places where everyone belongs, regardless of their political opinions.
The revival we are seeing in citizen academies is a vital part of this process. Civic education that underscores the importance of civic values, civility, mutual care, and respect towards one another helps to cultivate the habits of the heart we need for effective self-governance.
The ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes reminds us that the “foundation of every government is the education of its youth.” By partnering with schools and universities, local governments can help to foster the skills and values needed for constructive engagement across differences and the maintenance of a healthy democratic process.
As guardians of local democracy, civic leaders hold a sacred trust. It’s not sufficient to condemn toxic behavior; we must model the civil conduct we expect from others. The standards we set, the way we engage, and the civic culture we nurture within our communities will ripple outwards, influencing not just our community, but communities everywhere.
The full Roadmap to Civic Culture Renewal can be found in the 5th Anniversary edition of “Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It.”
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Diane Kalen-Sukra is an author, speaker, and culture transformation expert, sharing insights from over two decades of civic leadership, including her tenure as city manager. She is the founder of Kalen Academy, an online learning institute for civic leaders. Diane’s published works include the books Save Your City and Civic Resilience.
