Nasty Politics

In Nasty Politics, Zeitzoff explores why some politicians resort to insults, accusations, threats, and incitement of violence, even though the majority of the population finds such behavior repulsive. Drawing from data from the US, Israel, and Ukraine, he shows that 'outsiders and losers' use such rhetoric to gain attention and mobilize the segment of the population that supports it * and that words have consequences. It's hard to imagine a timelier book. * In the first comprehensive account of the causes and consequences of 'nasty politics,' Zeitzoff uses extensive survey and experimental evidence from the US, Ukraine, and Israel to show why politicians use insults, threats, and incitement and why these tactics so often succeed despite the public's ostensible distaste for them. Anyone who wants a better politics should heed these lessons. * Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth College * Theoretically, Nasty Politics is highly original and has important qualitative and quantitative evidence of the existence and growth of the nasty style. It also outlines in creative ways the public's reactions to this style across three democracies and the implications for democracy. It is written in an accessible and interesting way and is a must read for scholars interested in contentious politics and political psychology. * Shana Kushner Gadarian, Syracuse University *