Adam Seth Levine, assistant professor of government at Cornell University and expert on political communication, found that when politicians claim the election is rigged, people don’t show up to vote.

Bio: http://government.cornell.edu/adam-levineLevine says:

“Calling an election rigged doesn’t just undermine foundational democratic norms and principles, it also reduces voter engagement.

“We have conducted experiments showing that political rhetoric stating the system is rigged, as well as rhetoric about how the wealthy are buying the elections can raise voters’ concerns about political inequality, but it also sharply reduces their desire to be engaged.

“After all, who wants to spend their time on politics when they’re being told their voice doesn’t matter?”

Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.

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