Politicians and Citizens Talking Without Shouting? It Can Happen.

The cynical view of political discourse is that, in these polarized times, members of Congress can’t really persuade their constituents. If talk does anything, leaders can only mobilize their supporters and tell them how they should think and vote. But in a new study, my collaborators (Kevin Esterling, David Lazer, William Minozzi and the Congressional Management Foundation) and I found something potentially much more encouraging about how political leaders and citizens can talk to each other. Read more