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

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.