Why politicians may find it hard to understand ordinary voters

By Emma Otterski, Teaching Fellow in Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin

The 2024 election has seen party leaders strain to present themselves as being in touch with the struggles ordinary people are facing in the cost of living crisis. And yet they don’t appear to be convincing anyone.

In truth, if political leaders seem lacking in understanding of what is happening to ordinary citizens, it may be because they are. Research in social cognition – how we understand other people – suggests that having power and status affects our ability to interpret others and understand their lives.

This is significant – in the UK, politicians tend to come…

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