Only One in Three People Enjoy Talking about Politics – The Reasons Are More Social than Political
One of the cornerstones of liberal democracies is the political debate on how to shape society. However, discussions about politics often lead to frustration or result in a long-term strain on social relationships. “Our results suggest that citizens are aware of the potential social consequences of political discussions, as only 30 percent of all respondents generally like to talk about politics,” explains political scientist Manuel Neumann, who worked on the study at the chair of Professor Dr. Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck. “Only ten percent of all respondents have very positive attitudes towards political discussions when differences in opinion are to be expected or when discussing politics with acquaintances.” The results are based on surveys of 1,600 eligible voters from the city of Mannheim in the run-up to the 2017 federal election.
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