Political Identity: Meaning, Measures, and Evidence

Abstract

Identity shapes many of aspects of life, from how we see the world to how we behave. The concept of a political identity can best be understood as an inner narrative of one's political self. Identity is the story that we tell ourselves and others about who we are, who we were, and who we foresee ourselves to be. But how does this concept work when trying to understand identity in terms of politics? As noted in the introduction, political identity is complicated in both meaning and how it can best be defined. Much of the literature on identity admits that a political identity is a vague concept inherently difficult to measure (Valde 1996). However, part of the challenge and the reward for both political science and psychology is the development of a better theory to conceptualize political identity.