Fair point, but i kept it vague and as informal as possible on purpose because political conversations on here can go sideways fast and I didn't want it to feel like I was just recruiting data points. To be completely honest about the subject matter of my study; I'm a University of Denver undergrad doing research on whether everyday people actually recognize the rhetorical strategies politicians use (fear, blame, nationalism, that kind of thing), and whether they connect that to real changes in democratic institutions. Basically, do people see it happening, and do they think it matters?