Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PLEDGE (Politics of Grievance and Democratic Governance)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-02-01 do 2025-01-31
Democracies are increasingly shaped by grievance politics, driven by crises like climate change, war, and the pandemic. Authoritarian populists exploit frustration and anger, deepening polarization and eroding trust in democratic institutions. While often dismissed as irrational, emotions are central to political engagement, signalling underlying crises and inequalities. PLEDGE examines the dual role of grievance politics: it can undermine democracy if neglected or exploited but can drive positive change when emotional demands are acknowledged and addressed.
PLEDGE investigates: (1) when grievances lead to anti-democratic versus pro-democratic expressions; (2) how grievances shift between these expressions, identifying the factors that drive transitions; (3) how policymakers can promote constructive engagement through emotionally sensitive governance. The project’s objectives are to: 1. Understand emotional drivers and consequences of grievance politics; 2. Assess their impact of the emotional economy of grievances on policymaking; 3. Develop tools for emotionally intelligent policymaking and governance.
PLEDGE brings together academics, citizens, and policymakers to research, design, and test democratic interventions. It enhances knowledge of grievance politics and provides innovative tools for policymaking, communication, and civic engagement. The project targets seven key impacts span scientific, societal, and economic domains. Scientific Impact: Establishing frameworks for analysing emotions in grievance politics (1); Creating datasets for stakeholders (2); Societal Impact: Delivering actionable policy recommendations aligned with EU priorities (3); Building the PLEDGE Coalition to sustain the project’s impact through training and dissemination (4); Providing knowledge and toolkits for NGOs and CSOs to convert grievance politics into democratic action (5). Economic impact: Improving communication strategies to align policies with citizens’ emotional needs (6); Innovating public opinion research methodologies to assess emotional drivers in politics (7).
Amid rising populist and authoritarian threats worldwide, PLEDGE’s interdisciplinary research is crucial for counteracting anti-democratic grievance politics and strengthening democratic resilience through new frameworks, datasets, and emotionally aware governance strategies.
PLEDGE investigates: (1) when grievances lead to anti-democratic versus pro-democratic expressions; (2) how grievances shift between these expressions, identifying the factors that drive transitions; (3) how policymakers can promote constructive engagement through emotionally sensitive governance. The project’s objectives are to: 1. Understand emotional drivers and consequences of grievance politics; 2. Assess their impact of the emotional economy of grievances on policymaking; 3. Develop tools for emotionally intelligent policymaking and governance.
PLEDGE brings together academics, citizens, and policymakers to research, design, and test democratic interventions. It enhances knowledge of grievance politics and provides innovative tools for policymaking, communication, and civic engagement. The project targets seven key impacts span scientific, societal, and economic domains. Scientific Impact: Establishing frameworks for analysing emotions in grievance politics (1); Creating datasets for stakeholders (2); Societal Impact: Delivering actionable policy recommendations aligned with EU priorities (3); Building the PLEDGE Coalition to sustain the project’s impact through training and dissemination (4); Providing knowledge and toolkits for NGOs and CSOs to convert grievance politics into democratic action (5). Economic impact: Improving communication strategies to align policies with citizens’ emotional needs (6); Innovating public opinion research methodologies to assess emotional drivers in politics (7).
Amid rising populist and authoritarian threats worldwide, PLEDGE’s interdisciplinary research is crucial for counteracting anti-democratic grievance politics and strengthening democratic resilience through new frameworks, datasets, and emotionally aware governance strategies.
Expected Impact 1: Theoretical, Conceptual, and Methodological Framework Development. PLEDGE established a robust framework for studying emotions in grievance politics. Under WP1, existing research was reviewed, integrating findings from consortium partners and EU-funded projects over the past two decades. This effort culminated in D1.1 First Needs Report, which was further refined through stakeholder consultations. Additionally, a Consortium Databank was compiled, featuring 22 datasets (2005–2024) from 22 countries for secondary analysis.
WP2 developed a Conceptual Framework (D2.2 M10) explaining how emotions, values, identities, and beliefs shape political behaviour. It identifies two critical emotional mechanisms: Ressentiment (EMRes) capturing the negative output emotions of grievance-based mobilization, and Solidarity-oriented Sharing (EMSoS) promoting emotional exchanges that support cohesive political action. Codebook (D2.1 M10) was created to standardize PLEDGE’s core concepts for consistent analysis.
Expected Impact 2: Unique Dataset Collection for Evidence-based Insights. PLEDGE is developing datasets to support stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, and CSOs. Under WP3, the empirical framework, methodologies, and data collection protocols for WP4 and WP5 were established. Accomplishments include: a) Quality Assurance Plan (D3.1) and Data Management Plan (D3.2) ; b) Guidelines for empirical research methodologies including surveys, experiments, focus groups, interviews, and media studies; c) Social media data related to the 2024 European Parliament elections, collected in collaboration with CO3 and MORES Horizon Europe projects; d) traditional media data on grievances of far-right activists and leadership impact on policy making during the Russo-Ukrainian war; e) VR data from Poland and Ukraine, focusing on historical grievances and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Expected Impact 3: Policy Recommendations Aligned with EU Priorities. PLEDGE initiated actionable policy recommendations tailored to EU priorities. Grounded in WP1 research, the first Policy Brief introduces an Emotionally Intelligent European Democracy Shield to counter disinformation and reinforce democratic resilience. Engagements with policymakers are ongoing to ensure recommendations remain relevant and impactful.
Expected Impact 4: PLEDGE Coalition. PLEDGE is laying the groundwork for a PLEDGE Coalition for long-term dissemination of research findings. During the Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis (PIPA) workshops held at the PLEDGE Launch Conference (October 2024), refined research outputs for real-world application. Design-thinking and storytelling methodologies with complement PIPA in Years 2 and 3 to innovate governance practices sensitive to emotional dynamics.
Expected Impact 5: Toolkit Development for NGOs and CSOs. PLEDGE is developing resources to help NGOs and CSOs transform anti-democratic grievance politics into pro-democratic engagement. The Conceptual Framework emphasises the Solidarity-oriented Sharing (EMSoS) mechanism, demonstrating how envy, shame, and humiliation can be redirected into collective resentment, indignation, hope, joy, and pride, fostering constructive civic engagement. The first Policy Brief outlines Democratic Listening Mechanisms Citizen platforms (digital and in-person) and ‘mini-publics’ (citizens’ assemblies) for articulating grievances and proposing solutions; Dialogue platforms at the local and national level, for consensus-building on contentious issues; Democracy cycles, spaces for structured and unstructured interactions aimed at reducing prejudice and enhancing mutual understanding between opposing groups.
Expected Impact 6 & 7: Work on Communication Strategies and Public Opinion Impact. Efforts to enhance communication strategies aligning policies with citizens’ emotional needs and to develop innovative public opinion research methodologies will be addressed in subsequent project phases.
WP2 developed a Conceptual Framework (D2.2 M10) explaining how emotions, values, identities, and beliefs shape political behaviour. It identifies two critical emotional mechanisms: Ressentiment (EMRes) capturing the negative output emotions of grievance-based mobilization, and Solidarity-oriented Sharing (EMSoS) promoting emotional exchanges that support cohesive political action. Codebook (D2.1 M10) was created to standardize PLEDGE’s core concepts for consistent analysis.
Expected Impact 2: Unique Dataset Collection for Evidence-based Insights. PLEDGE is developing datasets to support stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, and CSOs. Under WP3, the empirical framework, methodologies, and data collection protocols for WP4 and WP5 were established. Accomplishments include: a) Quality Assurance Plan (D3.1) and Data Management Plan (D3.2) ; b) Guidelines for empirical research methodologies including surveys, experiments, focus groups, interviews, and media studies; c) Social media data related to the 2024 European Parliament elections, collected in collaboration with CO3 and MORES Horizon Europe projects; d) traditional media data on grievances of far-right activists and leadership impact on policy making during the Russo-Ukrainian war; e) VR data from Poland and Ukraine, focusing on historical grievances and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Expected Impact 3: Policy Recommendations Aligned with EU Priorities. PLEDGE initiated actionable policy recommendations tailored to EU priorities. Grounded in WP1 research, the first Policy Brief introduces an Emotionally Intelligent European Democracy Shield to counter disinformation and reinforce democratic resilience. Engagements with policymakers are ongoing to ensure recommendations remain relevant and impactful.
Expected Impact 4: PLEDGE Coalition. PLEDGE is laying the groundwork for a PLEDGE Coalition for long-term dissemination of research findings. During the Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis (PIPA) workshops held at the PLEDGE Launch Conference (October 2024), refined research outputs for real-world application. Design-thinking and storytelling methodologies with complement PIPA in Years 2 and 3 to innovate governance practices sensitive to emotional dynamics.
Expected Impact 5: Toolkit Development for NGOs and CSOs. PLEDGE is developing resources to help NGOs and CSOs transform anti-democratic grievance politics into pro-democratic engagement. The Conceptual Framework emphasises the Solidarity-oriented Sharing (EMSoS) mechanism, demonstrating how envy, shame, and humiliation can be redirected into collective resentment, indignation, hope, joy, and pride, fostering constructive civic engagement. The first Policy Brief outlines Democratic Listening Mechanisms Citizen platforms (digital and in-person) and ‘mini-publics’ (citizens’ assemblies) for articulating grievances and proposing solutions; Dialogue platforms at the local and national level, for consensus-building on contentious issues; Democracy cycles, spaces for structured and unstructured interactions aimed at reducing prejudice and enhancing mutual understanding between opposing groups.
Expected Impact 6 & 7: Work on Communication Strategies and Public Opinion Impact. Efforts to enhance communication strategies aligning policies with citizens’ emotional needs and to develop innovative public opinion research methodologies will be addressed in subsequent project phases.
WP2 has introduced groundbreaking concepts and methodologies for analysing the emotional dynamics of grievance politics. The Conceptual Framework (D2.2) features new EMRes and EMSoS measurement scales, to be validated through longitudinal surveys in Years 2 and 3, alongside experimental methods for testing emotional mechanisms in controlled settings.