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Anxiety, Enthusiasm, and the Vote: The Emotional Underpinnings of Learning and Involvement During Presidential Campaigns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

George E. Marcus  and
Michael B. MacKuen
George E. Marcus
Affiliation:
Williams College
Michael B. MacKuen
Affiliation:
University of Missouri, St. Louis
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Abstract

By incorporating emotionality, we propose to enrich information-processing models of citizens' behavior during election campaigns. We demonstrate that two distinct dynamic emotional responses play influential roles during election campaigns: anxiety and enthusiasm. Anxiety, responding to threat and novelty, stimulates attention toward the campaign and political learning and discourages reliance on habitual cues for voting. Enthusiasm powerfully influences candidate preferences and stimulates interest and involvement in the campaign. The findings support a theoretical perspective that regards cognitive and emotional processes as mutually engaged and mutually supportive rather than as antagonistic. We suggest that the democratic process may not be undermined by emotionality as is generally presupposed. Instead, we believe that people use emotions as tools for efficient information processing and thus enhance their abilities to engage in meaningful political deliberation.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 87 , Issue 3 , September 1993 , pp. 672 - 685
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1993

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