Almost half of those surveyed opt out of political debates because they consider the tone overly aggressive. Among other things, they say the debates are "sandbox-level," full of "dirt-throwing" and "everyone talking over each other."
A quarter of those surveyed say the harsh tone also affects their desire to vote.
"Incivility has increased throughout society and also in politics," says researcher Dan Hasson, one of the authors of TCO's report "The Politeness Commission."
He sees the harsh tone as a negative spiral that reduces trust in society.
"When politicians behave rudely, it risks spreading to other politicians and, of course, to voters. Ultimately, the risk of getting undemocratic politicians who are much better at this game than the others increases."
If the tone of conversation were improved instead, 54 percent would take part in more politics than they do today.
The survey is based on 1,041 interviews conducted between February 20 and 27 this year.
