"He says, "The central finding in my research is that things are not as bad as they seem." In an interview with the Stanford University Polarization and Social Change Lab's Reasons to be Cheerful project, Frimer responds to a question often asked by candidates for political office: "Are low blows and online attacks effective?" Frimer votes no to that question."
"Frimer reveals the findings of his studies on civility in politics: namely, that the public is turned off by negative campaigning, which hurts the image of the attacking politician more than that of the one being attacked. Frimer points to other consequences of political incivility, which: Alienates people from the system. Fosters distrust in politicians. Leads to a loss of faith in the government. Does not mobilize the electorate. Does not change voter turnout."
"As insults increase, approval ratings decrease, even among supporters. However, it does get people's attention. Frimer says, "Incivility takes up all the oxygen in the room." In a paper titled "The Montagu Principle: Incivility decreases politicians' public approval even with their political base," Frimer shares a quote from 18th-century author Mary Wortley Montagu: "Civility costs nothing and buys everything." He explains that 21st-century evid"
Negative campaigning and political incivility reduce public approval and harm the image of the attacking politician more than the attacked. Incivility alienates citizens from the political system, fosters distrust in politicians, and erodes faith in government. Incivility does not mobilize voters or change turnout and fails to increase electoral engagement. Exposure to insults causes rumination, distraction, and reduced effectiveness in other tasks. Incivility grabs attention yet produces broad negative consequences, including decreased approval even among the attacker’s political base. The Montagu Principle encapsulates this: 'Civility costs nothing and buys everything.'
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