Researchers introduce the concept of the "conflict entrepreneur": a legislator who disproportionately attacks the integrity, morality or intellect of peers. The core finding is straightforward, says Marc Jacob: personal attacks strongly predict greater media coverage but show no link to fundraising, vote margins, legislative success or personal wealth.
The team analyzed public statements from the 118th US Congress and linked a dataset of 2.2 million statements to records of media coverage, campaign finance and electoral outcomes. Using a large language model, they separated critical policy debate from outright personal attacks to map patterns of rhetoric.
They report that personal attacks were 2.7 times more frequent by Republicans than by Democrats and 1.3 times more frequent in the House than the Senate. A small group of combative members draws disproportionate attention: for example, a member who devotes 5 percent of communication to personal attacks can receive cable news coverage similar to a colleague devoting 45 percent to policy debate. Posts with personal insults also averaged 606 reposts versus 244 for policy-focused posts.
Frequent attackers were less likely to co-sponsor legislation and received fewer assignments to prestigious standing committees. The study found no correlation between use of insults and baseline partisan animosity in a district; many abrasive legislators represent comparatively moderate electorates. Authors warn that the media attention economy that rewards conflict can weaken democratic norms, and they urge leaders and media gatekeepers to reward those who advance policy. Additional coauthors are from the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College, and the paper appears in PNAS Nexus.
Difficult words
- legislator — a person who makes or writes laws
- disproportionately — to a much greater or smaller degree
- integrity — honesty and strong moral principles
- personal attacks — remarks that insult someone's character
- media coverage — news attention that reaches the public
- fundraising — collecting money for a campaign
- co-sponsor — to join another lawmaker in proposing legislation
- prestigious — highly respected and seen as important
- animosity — strong dislike or hostility between people
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think media gives more attention to personal attacks than to policy debate?
- How could leaders and media change their choices to reward policy-focused politicians?
- Have you seen similar political attacks in news from your country? How did people respond?
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