The Dignity Index launches Utah pilot program to incentivize dignity, reject contempt.

 

SALT LAKE CITY (October 5, 2022)  — This election cycle, Utah’s federal candidates will have a new incentive to shun contempt for their opponents and treat with dignity those with whom they disagree. A national movement to increase dignity in public discourse launches a pilot program in Utah today, rating public messages from Utah’s federal Senate and House races on a scale called, The Dignity Index.

“Utah does politics differently but our state is not immune to the national trend to demonize and belittle political opponents, dividing people instead of bringing communities together,” said Tami Pyfer, Utah project lead for The Dignity Index. “Differences and disagreements don’t cause division; contempt causes division and we want to make an impact that raises expectations across the board.”

Powered by UNITE, a national movement to encourage Americans to reject "us vs. them" thinking and stand together in common purpose, The Dignity Index was developed in partnership with behavioral scientists and other experts, and the demonstration project is being guided by researchers  at the University of Utah. The Index is a 1-8 scale designed to rate speech, not people, in as unbiased manner as possible.

“The Dignity Index reveals both the danger of contempt and the power of dignity, and most importantly, it shows us how to change,” said Tim Shriver, Founder of UNITE. “It shows us that dignity is the means of preventing violence, easing division, and solving problems. Treating people with dignity has been at the heart of my work in the Special Olympics and in schools, too. But now we need it in our politics and we have no time to waste.”

Scores will be released weekly, every Friday covering material from the previous week, with the exception of the first release, set for October 7, which will include selections from weeks leading up to the launch. 

“The Dignity Index draws our attention to one pivotal question, ‘what do we do when we disagree?’” said Tom Rosshirt, project director for The Dignity Index. “In that moment, we face a choice. Do we treat the other person with dignity, or do we treat them with contempt? The quality of our relationships depends on the answer.  The Utah project will focus on political speech, because it’s so influential in shaping our culture. But those of us excited to be part of this movement will be watching our personal speech as well. We all have a role in changing our culture for the better.” 

How it works
A group of coders, trained and supported by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Hinckley Institute of Politics, will score selections from candidate speeches, debates, fundraising outreach, social media posts and campaign ads. The selections are rated on a scale from one to eight and will include brief explanations about why each score was assigned and, in some cases, point out how slight adjustments could have resulted in higher scores. 

The Dignity Index
Sentiments that align with each rating (see attached graphic):

8 - Each of us is born with inherent worth, so we treat everyone with dignity - no matter what.

7 - We fully engage with the other side, discussing even the values and interests we don’t share, so we know where they’re coming from.

6 - We always talk to the other side, searching for the values and interests we share.

5 - The other side has a right to be here and to be heard. It’s their country too.

4 - We’re better than those people. I don’t trust them.

3 - We’re the good people and they’re the bad people. It’s us vs. them.

2 - Those people are evil and they’re going to ruin our country if we let them. It’s us or them.

1 - They’re not even human. It’s our moral duty to destroy them before they destroy us.

The Dignity Index scores will be published on dignityindex.us each Friday through Election Day.

Supporters

In addition to partnering with the University of Utah, The Dignity Index is supported by a broad group of community organizations including: the Kem C. Gardner Institute, the Hinckley Institute of Politics, Deseret Management Corporation, and a grant from Larry H. and Gail Miller Foundation.

The Dignity Index is led locally by a board of advisors. Members include:

  • Maura Carabello, Founder & President, The Exoro Group

  • Former Governor Gary R. Herbert

  • Pat Jones, CEO, Women’s Leadership Institute

  • Rick Larsen, President & CEO, Sutherland Institute

  • Rich McKeown, Co-Founder, Leavitt Partners

  • Shawn Newell, President, Waves Consulting, LLC

“Politicians are scored on how they vote on nearly every issue but not on how they treat their opponents,” said Pyfer. “By rating how they speak to - and about -  one another, we’re hoping they will see the benefit of taking the higher road.”

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Andy Ogden