Simpler language “correlates” with higher polls numbers for Republicans this presidential primary season, according to a new study. The opposite is true for Democrats.
An examination of top candidates’ debate transcripts — part of a study published Tuesday by Grammarly titled “The Language of Politics” — finds that Donald Trump’s minimal use of “complex language” parallels his unmatched poll numbers among his now-defeated GOP rivals. Meanwhile, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s top-of-the-class use of complex language matches her strength in the polls over Bernie Sanders.
With 3.3 percent of his sentences containing complex language, Trump led his peers with 34 percent support in the polls, according to poll data collected from the Huff Post Pollster. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz trailed with 14.4 percent in the polls. His use of complex language comprised 5.5 percent of his debate dialogue. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who had the highest language complexity among Republicans examined (6.3 percent), got an average of only 8.2 percent in the polls.
On the Democratic side, Clinton (51.9 percent in polls) reigns supreme with about 7.9 percent of her debate language being complex, followed by Sanders (31.6 percent in polls) with 5.5 percent complex language use.
Grammarly defines complex language using seven different “clarity algorithms.” These include: sentence length, complex adjective order, use of passive voice, use of and/or, use of dated words, and non-restrictive clauses — clauses that provide additional information but are not essential to a sentence.
“Though we might not think much about them in the context of all the issues discussed during elections, rhetoric and language play a critical role in the success of U.S. presidential candidates,” wrote Grammarly’s Kimberly Joki.
While the Democrats’ use of complex language outmatches that of their GOP counterparts, the study found that candidates of both parties have simplified their language over the past 50 years.
Back in 1960, 12.3 percent of John F. Kennedy’s sentences were classified as complex, while Richard Nixon came in at 13.8 percent. Fast forward to 2012, when Barack Obama’s complex sentence use came in at 10.8 percent, and Mitt Romney’s at 6.3 percent.
Topping all Republicans was Ronald Reagan, whose sentences in 1980 were over five times more complex than Donald Trump’s are today, at 17.2 percent. He was nearly even that year with the Democrats’ top complex sentence user, Jimmy Carter (17.3 percent).
