# Multimedia 

Multimedia 

---

- [Podcasts](/podcasts)
- [Cato Video](/multimedia/cato-video)
- [Video Series](/search/category/video-series)
- [Events](/multimedia/events)

Download:

[ 

Video 

](https://fastly-unsigned-us-east-1-prod.brightcovecdn.com/media/v1/pmp4/static/clear/6039378657001/0c64500c-82ac-4119-8e78-5b752193f75e/f05678a9-d19f-462e-8c7d-6cd10b0a924a/main.mp4) 

Events • October 22, 2024 

# The Competencies of Civil Discourse 

Civil discourse is an important aspect of a free and pluralistic democracy. That said, many people do not participate in civil discourse. There are several reasons for this: fear of being wrong, lack of rhetorical skill, negative emotionality, etc. What’s more, this refusal or inability to speak to those with whom we disagree is growing by the day.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

##### Featuring 

[![ErecSmith-cropped.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2023-02/ErecSmith-cropped.jpg?itok=p8wlcACq)](/people/erec-smith) 

##### [Erec Smith](/people/erec-smith)

Research Fellow, Cato Institute, and Cofounder, Free Black Thought

[ 

](https://x.com/Rhetors_of_York) 

![Jonathan Rauch](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-06/Rauch-200.png?itok=BoAvMCFm) 

##### Jonathan Rauch 

Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

[ 

](https://www.twitter.com/jon_rauch)