Conclusion: The Politics of Emotions, Campaigns, and Looking Ahead

Abstract

The concluding chapter examines and reviews the importance of studying emotions in political contexts and the important contributions made by the research on emotions across three presidential election cycles. The research suggests there are discernible contexts in which negative emotions are associated with retrospective voting appraisals and, by the same measure, specific political environments in which positive emotions are associated with prospective voting appraisals. On the eve of the 2016 presidential election, this chapter looks ahead and provides a brief survey of the elements that will shape the political context and campaign narratives framing the choices for voters.