Survey experiment shows politicians' congenial messages reduce negative emotions and social distance, implying potential for improving political discourse.
Key Points
Congenial messages from politicians significantly decrease affective polarization among citizens, reducing negative feelings toward outpartisans.
In a preregistered survey experiment with 2,000 participants, politicians’ respectful statements notably reduced social distancing from opponents.
This study demonstrates that the depolarizing effects of congenial rhetoric apply regardless of the politician's or citizen's political alignment.
Findings suggest that fostering positive political communication could mitigate divisive sentiments in contemporary politics.