Interview

Jamie Druckman on the State of American Democracy

Studies have shown that using dehumanizing language to refer to political opponents—whether directed at the actual candidates or their supporters—has a destabilizing effect on democracy in the United States. According to James Druckman, Democracy Center Faculty Affiliate and the Martin Brewer Anderson Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester, negative rhetoric has changed how both elites and average citizens talk about politics. It has also affected average people’s political attitudes and their willingness to engage in politics.