'Age of rage': Researchers identify 3 long-term solutions to heal political division

A supporter of President Donald Trump in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23, 2023 (Image: Shutterstock)

Attempts to reduce political hostility between Americans show short-term effects but fade quickly, according to new research.

The Guardian reported Monday that a review of dozens of studies found that while various methods can slightly improve how people feel about the opposing political party, those improvements usually disappear within two weeks.

The researchers noted that some have labelled these hostilities the “age of rage.”

Researchers from Dartmouth College analyzed 25 past studies focused mostly on the U.S., covering 77 different interventions. These included efforts like correcting false beliefs about political opponents and arranging conversations between people with opposing views.

The average increase in positive feelings was 5.4 points on a 101-point scale.

However, this shift didn’t last.

In studies that included follow-up data, about three-quarters of the improvement was gone after one week, per the report. After two weeks, almost all of it had faded.

The researchers also tested whether giving people more than one kind of intervention at once would make a bigger difference. It didn’t.

A trial with over 2,000 participants showed no added benefit.

The study concludes that long-term solutions may need to focus less on individual change and more on the broader forces that encourage political conflict. These include media and political systems that reward divisive behavior.

Professor Sean Westwood, one of the researchers, told the Guardian: “There is no magical fix for our political divides.”

“To rebuild our democracy, we must commit to the long-term process of supporting policy-focused candidates, resisting the hatred that flourishes on social media, and restoring the integrity of our federal government. This sounds challenging, and it is, but we have done it before.”

Professor Kurt Gray from the University of North Carolina, who was not part of the study, said that while quick fixes may not work, people talking to each other still matters.

“Our work and other work shows that lasting connections with people across the aisle are important for enacting change,” he said.

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