Between the Pure People and the Corrupt Elite. Populist Storytelling and Affective Polarization in Social Media in Mexico
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Abstract
The ideational definition of populism proposes a discourse as populist if it poses a Manichean and moral cosmology, with the proclamation of “the people” as a homogenous and virtuous community, and the depiction of “the elite” as a corrupt entity (e.g., Hawkins and Rovira Kaltwasser, 2019; Mudde, 2004). According to this definition, the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), seems to exhibit a populist rhetoric. Departing from such conceptualization and focusing on a single-case study, this work analyzes which of those attributes of populism provokes greater polarization among citizens, proposing the hypothesis that “anti-elite” messages are more likely to generate affective polarization than politicians’ positive mentioning of “the people.” To do so, this chapter employs textual analysis of social media (Facebook). Findings suggest that the “evil, conspiring elite” messages pushes individuals to greater affective polarization. Results show that comments on social media are more polarized when AMLO’s posts propagate an anti-elite message.
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