What Americans Want from Politicians— And What They're Not Getting: Sean Westwood

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

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5 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 18 January 2024

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

American politics are often dominated by the loudest voices on the left and right. In this episode, we learn the crucial difference between what Americans get from their elected representatives and what they really want to hear. Professor Sean Westwood of Dartmouth College is our guest. As Director of The Polarization Research Lab, he studies American political behavior and public opinion, examining how partisanship and information from political elites affect the behavior of citizens. "There is an absolute need for common ground," Sean Westwood tells us. The research shows that most Democrats and Republicans "know very little about the other side and have significant misperceptions." We learn why elites, including political leaders and celebrities, have a powerful impact on public behavior. "When we humanize the opposition and bring politicians together and demonstrate how they can have civil disagreement, you set norms that the public will follow," he says.

Transcript

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0:00.0	What do Americans want from their politicians and aren't getting?
0:04.4	That's what this podcast is all about.
0:07.5	Our politics are often dominated by the loudest voices on the left and right?
0:13.6	The elected officials who make the most negative or outrageous claims about the other
0:18.4	side get the most coverage.
0:20.9	In the next 30 minutes we hear about why political leaders and celebrities have a powerful impact on public behavior and why most Americans have misconceptions about the other side.
0:32.0	If you are an American and you see your politicians are now
0:36.4	calling the opposing side vermin or inhuman or anti-American or unpatriotic, that's telling you that you should follow suit.
0:46.0	If you want to rebuild respect in politics, it has to start at the top. This is
1:05.0	let's find common ground. I'm Ashley Milnite.
1:10.0	And I'm Richard Davies.
1:12.0	Our guest is Professor Sean Westwood of Dartmouth College.
1:16.0	As director of the Polarization Research Lab, he studies American political behavior and public opinion.
1:24.5	Sean looks at how partisanship and information from political elites affect the
1:29.2	behavior of our citizens. He has a lot of data to back up what he's saying. Richard, you kick things off.
1:36.2	First question. The 2024 presidential campaign is likely to be highly negative, both the messaging from the
1:45.5	candidates and the media coverage as well. Is this what the public wants?
1:50.5	The public do not respond to negativity. There's an impression among
1:56.0	candidates. There's an impression among those who work for candidates that if you
2:00.6	go negative you'll hurt the other side.
2:02.6	You'll persuade the other side's voters to stay home,
2:05.2	you'll persuade the other side's voters
	...

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