Frustration and Resentment in Politics: An Application to the Chilean Case

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative approach for conceptualising and measuringfrustration and resentment in political contexts. Utilising the classic Gamson’sHypothesis, frustration is defined as the gap between internal and external politicaleZicacy, measured through structural equation modelling. By distinguishing betweenflow and stock variables, individual-level frustration is quantified, and then it is groupedand aggregated over time to characterise resentment. A pseudo-panel design isemployed to examine the temporal dynamics of these political attitudes. Applying thismethodology to the political climate in Chile from 2017 to 2022, a timeframe marked bysignificant political crisis and social upheaval, the findings indicate a notableprevalence of resentment, especially among younger individuals with highersocioeconomic status. This challenges the notion that political resentment ispredominantly associated with material deprivation. Furthermore, the analysis reveals asignificant correlation between political interest, ideology, and these emotional states.