Political Behavior and the Emotional Citizen

"As Turkish democracy is going through turbulent times, it has never been more important to understand the political behavior of Turkish voters. In this carefully researched and clearly argued book, Cengiz Erisen demonstrates how political psychology in general and the emotions of anger, fear, and enthusiasm in particular shape patterns of political interest, political tolerance and key aspects of political behavior such as voting and social movement participation." (Professor Ziya Onis, Koc University, Turkey) "Professor Cengiz Erisen adds an important book to the literatures of political behavior, emotions and politics. Much of the existing research is conducted in the United States and in Europe, far less is done elsewhere. By bringing together the latest theoretical work with rich empirical data the book offers many new insights into the politics of Turkey." (Professor George E. Marcus, Williams College, USA)

This book studies the role of emotions, such as anger, anxiety, and enthusiasm, across various domains of political behavior in Turkey.

This book studies the role of emotions, such as anger, anxiety, and enthusiasm, across various domains of political behavior in Turkey. The author considers how emotions affect evaluations of leadership performance, levels of intolerance, likelihood of following and participating in politics, perceived threats from terrorism, and electoral decisions, including vote choice. Using a nationally representative survey and experimental data, this study empirically analyses the causal associations among the primary factors explaining the Turkish electorate’s political attitudes and behaviours. The book will be of particular interest to academics, university students, and policymakers seeking to learn more about contemporary Turkish politics amid the recent political and social turmoil that has affected all parts of this society.