Building Voter Intimacy: Comparing Populist Communication Strategies in the Closing Stages of Elections in Taiwan and Germany

Authors

  • Jiun-Chi Lin National Sun Yat-sen University
  • Leen d'Haenens KU Leuven
  • Dachi Liao National Sun Yat-sen University

Keywords:

populist communication, campaign timing, communication style, cross-country comparison, German 2017 Bundestagswahl, Taiwan 2020 national election, Facebook

Abstract

Based on initial research into the stylistic roles in populist communication, both positive and negative emotions can shape voters’ antagonistic perceptions of political elites. However, these arguments have received limited examination in 2 key aspects: (1) the influence of campaign timing as a contextual factor and (2) the exploration of nuances within distinct social contexts. This study conducts a cross-comparative analysis of Facebook content from 12 political parties during campaign periods in Taiwan and Germany. Our findings reveal 3 key insights: Despite fringe parties displaying a higher propensity for populism, the communication patterns of populist content during campaign periods are remarkably similar between fringe and mainstream parties. Second, while both negative and sociable communication styles are employed in populist messaging, parties significantly increase their use of sociable styles during the final stages of election campaigns. Third, when examining disparities in the populist communication strategies of parties in Taiwan and Germany, each with distinct political contexts, Taiwanese parties exhibit a greater tendency toward populism compared with their German counterparts.

Author Biographies

Jiun-Chi Lin, National Sun Yat-sen University

Jiun-Chi Lin (PhD, NSYSU, 2022; PhD, KU Leuven, 2022) is Postoctoral researcher at the Institute of Marketing Communication (NSYSU). His research focuses on political communication (with focuses on party communication, media effects, and advertising), populism, digital politics, and comparative studies. He often combines qualitative and quantitative methods in his research.  

Leen d'Haenens, KU Leuven

Leen d’Haenens (PhD) is Professor in Communication Science at the Institute for Media Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences in KU Leuven, where she teaches ‘Analysis of Media Texts’ and ‘European Media Policy’ at the BA level, and ‘Media, Audiences and Identity’ at the MA level. Her research interests touch upon young people and (social) media use, with a focus on vulnerable youth. She combines quantitative and qualitative methods, multi-site comparisons, and in recent years ‘small data’ with ‘big data’ methods. She is co-editor of Communications (De Gruyter) and associate editor of The International Communication Gazette (Sage). She is a member of the Euromedia Research Group.

Dachi Liao, National Sun Yat-sen University

Dachi Liao (PhD) is an Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Political Science, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU). Her research areas mainly involve comparative politics, comparative legislative studies, and internet politics. She has published more than 80 reviewed articles in various political journals and edited 4 books separately published by Palgrave and NSYSU. She also established the iVoter platform, a kind of Voting Advice Applications (VAA), in Taiwan. 

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Published

2024-10-29

Issue

Vol. 18 (2024)

Section

Articles

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