Nasty politics most prevalent in U.S. since Civil War, says scholar

SYDNEY, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The level of nastiness in U.S. politics has increased dramatically, and the nasty politics is more prevalent than at any time since the U.S. Civil War, a scholar has said.

In an opinion published Monday by the media network the Conversation, Thomas Zeitzoff, associate professor at American University, summarized "nasty politics" as an umbrella term for the aggressive rhetoric and occasional actual violence that politicians use against domestic political opponents and other domestic groups.

The scholar noted that rhetoric like from former U.S. President Donald Trump is "becoming remarkably common in American politics," and both Democrats and Republicans have shown their "lack of civility."

"Insults are the least threatening and most common form of nasty politics," Zeitzoff said. "Less common - and more ominous - are threats to jail political opponents or encouraging one's supporters to commit violence against those opponents."

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said before Congress in May that one of the biggest challenges the Capitol Police face today "is dealing with the sheer increase in the number of threats against the members of Congress. It's gone up over 400 percent over the last six years."

"The uptick in nasty politics in the U.S. is both a symptom of the country's deeply divided politics and a harbinger of future threats to democracy," Zeitzoff added.