Epistemic orientation predicts legislative effectiveness among members of the US Congress

Excerpt

arXiv:2609.11865v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Truth and evidence-based communication provide important foundations for democratic governance, accountability, and collective decision-making. Prior work shows that evidence-oriented language in US congressional floor speeches has declined since the mid-1970s, alongside broader changes in legislative productivity and polarization. This study shifts the analysis from congressional sessions to individual members of Congress to examine whether episte