Political Emotions, Populism and Autocratization: Fear, Angerand the Construction of Crisis in Contemporary Politics

Abstract

This article examines the role of political emotions in democratic and populist systems. It argues that the emotional grammar of populism contributes to autocratization by transforming fear, anger and victimhood into instruments of political cohesion, institutional delegitimation and leader-centered rule. With particular attention to Latin America, it analyzes how populism operates in contexts marked by affective polarization, crisis narratives, and leadercentered forms of political identification. Although all forms of politics rely on emotions, populism is distinguished by its emphasis on negative emotions such as anger and fear, its intensification of the sense of crisis, its performative approach to politics, and its promotion of confrontational dynamics. Drawing on psychological, political, and economic theories of emotions, this article shows how populist leaders use emotions to polarize society, create scapegoats, weaken democratic institutions, and prolong their hold on power.