Dehumanization of the Opposition in Political Campaigns

Abstract

Objective: This article documents dehumanization in the 2016 presidential contest. Methods: Using a mixed-method approach, I analyze dehumanized portrayals of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in visual campaign rhetoric and on common survey measures of dehumanization. Results: Images from the campaign discourse reflect animalistic and mechanistic dehumanization of the presidential candidates. The survey data reveal that voters dehumanize opposition candidates and party members in both subtle and blatant ways that also reflect this animalistic–mechanistic distinction. Conclusion: The findings affirm the external validity of measurement strategies for dehumanization by showing the correspondence between campaign imagery and common survey-based measurement tools. This work situates dehumanization as a psychological process relevant to the study of campaigns and elections.