Lawmakers communicate with voters by signaling shared emotional experiences to increase levels of support. However, what drives people's emotions isn't what hap... (opens in new tab)

Drawing on theories of affective intelligence and intergroup emotions, we develop a theory of affective representation in Congress in which lawmakers vary the emotional tone of their communications to align with the emotional experiences of rank-and-file co-partisans, thereby strengthening their popularity with constituents. In a nationalized political environment where control of the presidency is crucial, belonging to the presidential party influences both the emotional experiences of rank-...