When Politics Appears Bleak: Revisiting Civic Hope During Democratic Backsliding

Civic hope among ordinary citizens has yet to attract much attention in political science despite its relevance to democratic resilience. Civic hope requires work; the belief/action component must overcome detachment, polarization, distrust, and bystanding. Framing the discussion this way anticipates boundaries of the concept during democratic backsliding. The present paper explores whether civic hope as evident in letters to the editor is productive in reimagining politics and peoplehood in crisis times. We investigate how civic hope manifests in letters in a western Colorado community from 2012-2024. A qualitative analysis focuses on two components of public argument: “national touchstones” and “oppositional literacy. ” Our interpretation is that these features potentially undermine civic hope through exclusion of minoritized groups and belittling of opponents. We conclude with a discussion of the practices of argument that might contribute to the slowing of backsliding, if not democratic renewal.