{"id":2681,"date":"2024-09-18T22:57:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T22:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=2681"},"modified":"2024-10-02T19:17:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:17:35","slug":"depolarizing-messages-help-candidates-research-less-toxic-campaigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/09\/18\/depolarizing-messages-help-candidates-research-less-toxic-campaigns\/","title":{"rendered":"Want More Votes? Try Depolarization"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite widespread support for reducing toxic politics in America \u2014 as shown by <\/span>countless surveys<\/span><\/a> \u2014 campaign rhetoric from leaders has consistently grown <\/span>more<\/span><\/i> toxic over the last few decades. Why? Many political strategists believe rhetoric aimed at stoking fear and anger works \u2014 that these messages increase support and donations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And they aren\u2019t wrong \u2014 negative messages <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> work. For example, <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a> found messages aimed at provoking fear are twice as effective as messages that don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But are there other ways to win? Are there political strategies that don\u2019t require amplifying <\/span>our distrust and fear of each other<\/span><\/a> and can also help win elections?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Robb Willer and his Stanford colleagues studied the National Governors Association (NGA) <\/span>\u201cDisagree Better\u201d<\/span><\/a> campaign, which promotes civil discourse and bipartisan collaboration among politicians. Their findings were striking and challenged conventional wisdom. Not only did this campaign lower partisan hostility among viewers (an important result on its own!), but <\/span>it also made people view the politicians involved more positively<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, politicians who engaged in more respectful, depolarizing dialogue gained favor with voters \u2014 <\/span>even voters on the other side of the aisle<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of us assume that if politicians abandon toxicity and vitriol and embrace the high road, they\u2019d risk alienating their supporters or looking weak. It can make instinctual sense that when politicians don\u2019t lean into harsh moral judgment and us-versus-them rhetoric, they risk losing traction with their \u201cbase.\u201d However, this research shows that the opposite is true. Approaches aimed at reducing toxicity and contempt can be good political strategy. This is a win for democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study isn\u2019t public, but researcher Robb Willer discussed his findings at this NGA event in August:<\/span><\/p>\n