Evidence-Based Rhetoric in US Congress Hits Historic Low, Study Finds

New research reveals a sharp decline in fact-driven political language, correlating with reduced legislative performance and increased polarization.

A comprehensive analysis of 8 million Congressional speeches from 1879 to 2022 shows an unprecedented shift from evidence-based to intuition-driven rhetoric, with current levels at a historic low.
The decline in fact-based language began in the late 1970s and has accelerated in recent years, particularly among Republican members since 2021.
This trend correlates with reduced Congressional productivity, heightened political polarization, and growing economic inequality in the United States.
Researchers developed the Evidence-Minus-Intuition (EMI) metric to quantify the balance between fact-based and intuition-based rhetoric, revealing a significant shift in political communication over 140 years.
The study highlights concerns about 'truth decay,' where the diminishing role of facts in political discourse undermines public trust in democratic institutions.