El uso de las emociones en la comunicación político-electoral

Abstract

This paper carries out a theoretical examination of the different uses of emotions in campaigns, the main tools to activate them and the effects of emotional political communication on the electorate. Emotions cannot change entrenched electoral preferences, but they can create climates of opinion that may guide competition. Assuming the prominent role of emotions, a classification system for their use is proposed into four major campaign models: outrage campaigns, fear campaigns, positive change-oriented campaigns and identity campaigns appealing to feelings of collective belonging. Together with this classification, a theoretical approach is offered on the way how emotions appear in the campaign, the strategic purpose for their incorporation, and the main emotions that parties and candidates seek to activate. To do so, a selection of exemplary cases is used to allow to visualize in a concrete way the proposed concepts. Finally, and delving into the dilemma between emotion and reason, the limitations of emotions are raised while, at the same time, their prominence in some recent political phenomena of greatest impact is recognized.