Research conducted during the 2020 Viennese state election campaign (in Austria) found that perceived dirty campaigning increases anger, frustration, and disgust towards campaigns. Over time, it increased distrust towards politicians and decreased trust in democracy. The research was published in American Behavioral Scientist. Dirty campaigning refers to unethical or unscrupulous tactics used in political campaigns to undermine opponents and gain an advantage. These tactics include spreading false information, launching personal attacks, or attempting to damage an opponent’s reputation through…
