Role Of Deception In Politics

Deception in Politics In recent discussions of politics, a controversial issue has been whether or not politicians rely on deception in order to persuade and manipulate voters. One one hand, some may argue that politicians do not use deceptive tactics to gain support from voters. These people argue that politicians are simply exaggerating some facts in order to support their own campaign. However, others argue that this is immoral and can lead voters to believe false information. My own view is that being a politician is an art of deception which is learned, not a talent that a person is born with. Years of learning how to persuade and deceive an audience go into the creation of a successful politician. Because this deceptive practice can

This is simply a part of human nature and that is okay. It is a part of our biological autopilot system where, “statements that align with our existing beliefs cause us to feel good and we want to believe them” (Tsipursky). Lying or exaggerating to hide the truth has become an overwhelmingly popular political tactic. In fact, this tactic was used frequently in the last presidential election in the United States. Politicians embellish their ideas in order to win over the general public. People respond well to it, and that is why it continues to work. For example, if a politician wanted us to believe that all immigrants are awful people, they will use every example of immigrants who are criminals. However, they will never mention that the majority of immigrants are good people who are simply searching for better lives for themselves and their families. A few examples of the other persuasive tactics Trump and Clinton in particular used include their rampant use of positive association words and exaggeration of their capabilities of accomplishing large tasks that people want done (Smith). These tactics may seem trivial but they do have a major impact on who ends up getting elected. Politicians know that using positive language and exaggerating who they are and what they are capable of will win over the

"Lie or Lose? Deception Has Become a Political Survival Technique." The Independent, 17 Dec. 2015, www.independent.co.uk/voices/lie-or-lose-deception-has-become-a-political-survival-technique-a6777481.html.

Smith, Kyle. "The Persuasion Tactics Trump and Clinton Are Using to Manipulate Voters." New York Post, 10 Sept. 2016, nypost.com/2016/09/10/the-persuasion-tactics-trump-and-clinton-are-using-to-manipulate-voters/.

Tsipursky, Gleb. "The Brain Science of Political Deception in the Election." Psychology Today, 29 Mar. 2017,