Nearly three-fourths of Utahns believe political discussions in America have become less civil over the past five years, a new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.

"There is some real intensity of feeling against Washington action in some sensitive areas," says Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. "But on these questions of civility and political speech, it always seems worse at the moment."

Indeed, leaders of both the Utah Republican and Democratic parties say they aren't so sure that the political tone in America, or Utah, has gotten much worse than half a decade ago.

"Not so much that it is less civil," said GOP chairman Dave Hansen. "But that we are seeing so much more of it these days because of the internet and cable TV and radio shows."

Todd Taylor, executive director of the state Democratic Party, says he doesn't see any less civil political dialogue during the first months of the President Barack Obama administration than the end of President George Bush's years. "Less civil (today) than the public demonstrations against Bush?"

All this really "came when we saw the advent of the Rush Limbaugh phenomena — it certainly is not better today, but it is not a lot worse," Taylor said.

Jones found that 71 percent of Utahns say the tone of political discussions is less civil today than five years ago. Only 16 percent said it is more civil, with 11 percent saying it really hasn't changed since 2004.

There is a big split between Utah Republicans and Democrats on the issue.

Only 43 percent of Republicans say political dialogue is "definitely" less civil, while 61 percent of Democrats feel so, Jones found.

Of course, it is national Republicans, swept from power in the 2008 elections, and their supporters who have been most critical of Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress over the last few months.

So Utah Republicans are more accepting of that criticism — perhaps thinking it is not as harsh as some — than are local Democrats.

Men are also more likely to accept the current "tone" of political debate than are women, the poll shows.

Still, nearly half of all Utahns — 47 percent — told Jones that political discussion today is "definitely less civil" than five years ago.

"While it is good to urge civility, from the time of the Boston Tea Party — events from the beginning of our country until now — our (political speech) is dictated in a large part by citizen response to government action or inaction," Jowers said.

Here's another interesting poll finding: 41 percent of Utahns think the far-right of the Republican Party has too much influence in Utah politics.