Political support, populism and behaviour
Voting intentions are an important indicator but do not capture all political support. Trust, approval, agreement on issues, strength of support and leaders’ reputations can be measured, while digital spaces provide another field of observation.
How is political support measured?
Voting intentions are an important indicator but do not capture all political support. Measures can include trust, approval, agreement on issues, willingness to vote, strength of support and leaders’ reputations. Sociometrica has also used social intelligence and semantic analysis to observe how support is expressed and spread online, combining self-reported and behavioural data.
Why does populism work?
It often simplifies complex conflicts into readily understandable oppositions, builds strong “us” and “them” identities and mobilises intense emotions. Antonio Preiti has written extensively on populism and the relationship between identity, communication and political emotions. This does not mean all populist voters share the same motivations; rather, populist language has features particularly suited to the contemporary communications environment.
Research behind this guide
- Identity, the Political Reason of Populism — 2019. From economic to cultural phenomenologies: with populism comes psycho-politics, driven by feelings and emotions rather than the rationality …
- Social Media and the Invention of Political Space — 2019. Twitter's impact on the European elections: network analysis reveals the mechanisms of building political hegemony on social media.
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Let’s talk →By Antonio Preiti and Sociometrica · The Sociometrica Method