Turning Complex Ideas into Simple Language

We know that a larger vocabulary can help improve our ability to read and express complex thoughts. But politicians prefer simpler language paired with basic sentence structures.

For example, here’s how the Flesch-Kincaid test rates the rhetoric of today’s presidential hopefuls:

Republicans:

Donald Trump: 4th grade

John Kasich: 5th grade

Ben Carson: 6th grade

Ted Cruz: 9th grade

Marco Rubio: 9th grade

Meanwhile, former Republican candidates Mike Huckabee and Jim Gilmore — who both spoke above a 10th-grade reading level — struggled in the polls and eventually dropped out.

Democrats:

Hillary Clinton: 8th grade

Bernie Sanders: 10th grade

So why is it that candidates have tended toward lower reading levels in their speeches? One answer is the expansion of the electorate.

As Jeff Shesol, historian and former speechwriter for Bill Clinton, told The Atlantic,

In the early republic, presidents could assume that they were speaking to audiences made up mostly of men like themselves: educated, civic-minded landowners. These, of course, were the only Americans with the right to vote. But over time, the franchise expanded and presidential appeals had to reach a broader audience.

In other words, as a political candidate’s target audience expanded, they had to express their ideas in a way that could reach people with more diverse backgrounds. This doesn’t necessarily mean that candidates are dumbing down their ideas. It might be that they’re simply finding more effective ways to communicate with a larger audience.

“Candidates aren’t necessarily dumbing down their ideas. They’re finding more effective ways to communicate with a larger audience.”

How Has Political Language Changed?

We used Readability Score to compare an excerpt from George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1796 with excerpts from Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s victory speeches after the South Carolina primary:

George Washington:

I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety, and am persuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that, in the present circumstances of our country, you will not disapprove my determination to retire.

One 55-word sentence

Complex vocabulary

College-aged reading level

Donald Trump:

We love our military. And by the way we love our police. Our police are terrific. We love our police. They are not being treated properly. We’re going to build our military so big, so good, so strong, so powerful that nobody is ever going to mess with us, folks.

Mostly short sentences

Straightforward vocabulary

5th-grade reading level

Hillary Clinton:

Let’s break down the barriers that keep people on the sidelines of our economy, especially women. Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough for quality affordable child care and paid family leave? Don’t you think it’s time for equal pay for equal work?

Medium-length sentences and rhetorical questions

Straightforward vocabulary

8th-grade reading level

With Trump and Clinton leading the polls, it seems that short, pithy sentences are what capture today’s audience. Simpler rhetoric can also be far more memorable, from John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” to George H. W. Bush’s “Read my lips: no new taxes.”

Developing a strong vocabulary is essential for any of us who want to grapple with complex issues and communicate effectively, but political rhetoric also shows the importance of being attentive to audience.

Brevity is crucial in the era of tweets and sound bites, especially for those running for the nation’s highest office.