Political emotions: a new policy science for tackling the climate crisis

The climate crisis and the policy measures intended to address it have become deeply polarized, reflecting broader political divisions. While emotions are increasingly acknowledged as central to policymaking, they are still often framed in policy debates as obstacles to rational decision-making. This persists despite substantial scholarship in political psychology showing that emotions are integral to rationality. This research note introduces the concept of political emotions – emotions shaped by and embedded in power relations, interests, values, and the interplay between rationality and affect – to argue that analyzing more carefully how emotions are framed in policy debates is essential for addressing polarized policy-making around the climate crisis and beyond. By foregrounding political emotions as a conceptual and analytical tool, we can uncover how they intersect with policy narratives, revealing the deep connections between the climate crisis and broader issues of justice and exclusion. Moreover, we can show how engaging with political emotions in the analysis of policy debates can help bridge communication and trust gaps between policymakers and citizens, highlighting the need for a more nuanced emotional engagement in public discourse. To advance this understanding, we propose a multi-perspective and interdisciplinary approach to political emotions, bringing together valuable insights from sociology, political science, and communication studies. We see such an endeavor as a continuation of Harold Lasswell’s original vision for the policy sciences; one that is empirically grounded, normatively aware, and publicly engaged. We aim to offer a conceptual and analytical toolkit for policymakers, civil society actors, and social movements navigating the emotionally charged terrain of the climate crisis and contemporary policy conflicts.