Most Americans say elected officials should avoid heated or aggressive speech
Seven-in-ten Americans say elected officials should avoid heated or aggressive language because it could encourage some people to take violent action.
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Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics.
Division and animosity between the two political parties in the U.S. has deepened. Most partisans view the other side as ‘closed-minded’; Republicans see Democrats as ‘unpatriotic.’
The 2016 campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of intense partisan division and animosity. Partisans’ views of the opposing party are now more negative than at any point in nearly a quarter of a century.
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