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Personal attacks in Congress win media attention, study finds — Level A1 — a newspaper with a person holding a newspaper

Personal attacks in Congress win media attention, study findsCEFR A1

28 Mar 2026

Adapted from Renee LaReau - Notre Dame, Futurity CC BY 4.0

Photo by Denise Jans, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
2 min
82 words
  • Some members of the US Congress use personal attacks.
  • They attack other members' honesty, character or thinking.
  • Television and online news give more attention to attacks.
  • Social media posts with insults get far more reposts.
  • Frequent attackers spend less time on policy work.
  • They co-sponsor fewer bills and join fewer committees.
  • Researchers studied many public statements in Congress.
  • The authors say this trend can hurt democracy.
  • Party leaders and media could change these incentives.
  • The study suggests rewarding serious policy work.

Difficult words

  • honestyTelling the truth and being fair.
  • insultWords that are rude and hurt someone.
    insults
  • policyPlans and actions for government work.
  • committeeA group of people who make decisions.
    committees
  • democracyA system where people vote for leaders.

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Do you see personal attacks on social media?
  • Do you think politicians should spend more time on policy work?
  • Where do you usually get news, on TV or online?

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