Emotions and Pro-independentist Vote in Catalonia in the Elections of 2017

Abstract

The Catalan “procés” represents an opportunity to analyze the influence of emotions on electoral behavior. The current Catalan political context, in which emotions have played such an important role, both in the construction of the independence narrative and in the discursive resources of the political and social actors, represents a unique case that allows us to measure the real impact of emotions on the construction of the independence vote decision. Assuming that, emotions directly and indirectly influence voting, we will show hox such influence is constructed through three dimensions: enthusiasm, anxiety and aversion. For this we will work with our own post-electoral survey, and we will use structural equation models as an analysis technique. Our analysis allows us to conclude that there is more enthusiasm and anxiety than aversion in the decision to vote of the Catalans on the pro-independence parties, confirming the importance of the emotional component in voting behavior.KeywordsEmotionsVoteIndependentismElectoral behaviorCataloniaProcés