U.S. Election and Emotional Entrepreneurs
In an interview for Folha de S.Paulo, Zsolt Boda explains how Trump’s populism has led the Republican and Harris to rely on fear and moral issues
Credit: Donald Trump Social Media Reproduction
Credit: Donald Trump Social Media Reproduction
As Americans head to the polls in a historic election today, 5 November, Zsolt Boda, Research Professor and Coordinator of the MORES project, told Folha de S.Paulo, one of Brazil’s leading newspapers, that the U.S. election is a clear example of how politics have become increasingly emotional in recent years, affecting democracy. The article, published today in Portuguese by Folha, is available here.
"We’re living in a populist era, as Dutch political scientist Cas Mudde says. In such times, politicians become entrepreneurs of emotions,” Boda explained to political scientist João Gabriel de Lima, a Lisbon-based Brazilian journalist for Folha, which has close to a million subscribers.
In the interview, Boda discussed how Republican candidate Donald Trump’s populism strongly appeals to negative emotions like anger and fear to amass political support. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris also taps into emotional discourse, often invoking fear about what might happen if Trump wins. Examples from Trump's and Harris's political rallies show how emotions and moral rhetoric have become central to their campaigns.
According to Boda, this is why scientific understanding on moral emotions—a central theme in MORES’s research—is important. These emotions relate to societal concerns, such as anger over government policies that people believe harm society. They carry a strong moral dimension and are often expressed by charismatic leaders.
As Boda suggests in the interview for Folha, emotional balance in politics is essential. When politics becomes overly technical, citizens lose interest, disengage from democracy, and grow cynical. Conversely, when politics becomes overly emotional, it shifts towards morality, which can also have negative consequences for society as it fosters divides.
“It becomes difficult to engage in debate or adopt middle-ground solutions,” Boda explains, adding that MORES is going to create tools to strengthen citizens’ emotional resilience. He also highlighted the role of quality journalism in offering a rational voice amid a highly emotional political landscape.
Media inquiries
The MORES project kicked off on 1 January 2024 and will run until December 2026. For inquiries, email [email protected].
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