Comic Agonism in the 2016 Campaign: A Study of Iowa Caucus Rallies

In this study, we assess the extent to which attending a candidate rally was associated with distrust of democratic institutions, epistemic rigidity, attribution of malevolent intentions to the political outgroup, and acceptance of political violence. Surveys (N = 251) were distributed at rallies th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American behavioral scientist (Beverly Hills) 2019-06, Vol.63 (7), p.836-855
Main Authors: Warner, Benjamin R., Galarza, Rocío, Coker, Calvin R., Tschirhart, Philip, Hoeun, Sopheak, Jennings, Freddie J., McKinney, Mitchell S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Attribution
Campaigns
Candidates
Democracy
Discontent
Group identity
Intergroup relations
Political campaigns
Political institutions
Political violence
Politics
Primaries & caucuses
Trust
Violence
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Summary:In this study, we assess the extent to which attending a candidate rally was associated with distrust of democratic institutions, epistemic rigidity, attribution of malevolent intentions to the political outgroup, and acceptance of political violence. Surveys (N = 251) were distributed at rallies the night before and day of the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. Results suggest that attendees of rallies for Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump were more likely to distrust democracy relative to attendees of a Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz rally. Findings also suggest that mistrust of democracy was associated with greater attribution of malevolence and acceptance of political violence. Attending a Sanders or Trump rally was indirectly associated with attribution of malevolence and acceptance of political violence through democratic mistrust.
ISSN:0002-7642
1552-3381
DOI:10.1177/0002764217704868