The study, developed within the Polarization Research Lab and coauthored by Marc Jacob of the University of Notre Dame, characterizes a subtype of legislator as a "conflict entrepreneur"—one who relies on attacks to question peers' integrity, morality or intellect. The authors find a clear trade-off: personal attacks earn outsized media attention but do not translate into greater fundraising, larger vote margins, legislative success or personal wealth.
The analysis covers the 118th US Congress (January 3, 2023 to January 3, 2025). Researchers linked a dataset of 2.2 million public statements to media-coverage records, campaign finance data and electoral outcomes. A large language model was used to distinguish between substantive policy debate and personal attacks, allowing the team to map who uses antagonistic rhetoric and how audiences respond.
- Personal attacks were 2.7 times more frequent by Republicans than by Democrats.
- They were 1.3 times more frequent in the House than in the Senate.
- A member who devotes 5% of communication to personal attacks can receive cable news coverage comparable to a colleague devoting 45% to policy; the 25 most combative members get more cable attention than the 75 least combative combined. Social posts with insults averaged 606 reposts versus 244 for policy posts.
The study also shows that frequent attackers engage less in core policy work: they co-sponsor fewer bills and receive fewer assignments to prestigious standing committees. There was no clear link between a legislator's use of insults and baseline partisan animosity in their district; several abrasive members represent relatively moderate electorates. The authors warn that a media attention economy that rewards conflict can weaken democratic norms. A retired member quoted in the paper said, "The most recent additions to Congress don’t care about policy; they care about getting attention." Jacob urges party leaders and media gatekeepers to shift incentives and "reward those who advance policy." Additional coauthors are from the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College; the paper appears in PNAS Nexus.
Difficult words
- conflict entrepreneur — politician who uses attacks to gain attention
- outsized — much larger than would be expected
- translate — lead to a different result or outcome
- large language model — computer system that generates human-like text
- antagonistic — expressing opposition or active hostility toward others
- co-sponsor — add one's name to support a proposed law
- partisan animosity — hostility between supporters of different political parties
- media attention economy — system where media rewards content that attracts attention
- combative — ready to argue or fight in speech or writing
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might media outlets give more attention to personal attacks than to policy debate? Give two possible reasons based on the article.
- Jacob urges party leaders and media gatekeepers to shift incentives and "reward those who advance policy." What practical steps could they take to encourage policy-focused communication?
- What risks to democratic norms could arise if a media attention economy continues to reward conflict over substantive debate?
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