Feeling the Split: Territorial Divide and Political Emotions in the Chilean Constituent Processes (2022-2023)
This study analyses the influence of territorial marginalisationin shaping negative political emotions. Focusingon the Chilean Constituent Processes of 2022 and 2023, the research examinestwo waves of face-to-face surveys conducted in the Valparaíso region of Chile, with a combined sample size of 3,324. The findings reveal that individuals living in urban areas distant from the political centreexhibit markedly negative emotions towards the proceedings of the constitutional conventions. Employing a discrete emotions methodology, the analysis indicates a higher likelihood of intensified feelings of distrust, uncertainty, and confusion among residents of peripheral areas in relation to both constituent processes, the first linked to the left-wing and the second to the right-wing.Therefore, the resultsmake two significant contributions to the field. First, it broadens the scope of research on the geography of discontent, which has traditionally focused on voting patterns, by demonstrating that territorial disparities affect underlying elements such as feelings and attitudes. In a context marked by intense centralisation, this research uniquely highlights territorial division as the sole consistently negative emotive factor throughout both processes, maintaining its significance and direction. Secondly, the study illuminates potential factors shaping public perception during a pivotal societal moment in Chile. This country holds a unique distinction in the global context for having rejected two distinct constitutional proposals via plebiscite, marking an exceptional event in the realms of political transformation and civic participation. Regrettably, spatial and geographical dimensions are often overlooked as influential elements in public discourse.