Political narrative is a term used in the humanities and political sciences to describe the way in which storytelling can shape fact and impact on understandings of reality.^[1] However, political narrative is not only a theoretical concept, it is also a tool employed by political figures in order to construct the perspectives of people within their environment and alter relationships between social groups and individuals.^[2] As a result, fiction has the potential to become fact and myths become intertwined into public discourse.^[3] Political narrative is impactful in its ability to elicit pathos, allowing the narrative to be influential through the value it provides rather than the truth that is told.^[4]

Meta-narratives are an important component to political narratives as it encompasses the artificiality of storytelling within a political context.^[3] They are central in shaping understandings of reality through the creation of history under the guise of grandeur and tales of development or expansion.^[3]

The notion of political narrative stems from concepts illustrated in narrative theory, which has become increasingly popular in the humanities and political science as a result of the popularisation of "fake news" following the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017.^[4] The study of narrative began at the beginning of the 20th century and experienced a resurgence in the 1970s when feminist researchers began to highlight the way in which women's lives are framed in storytelling - and this research has subsequently pioneered research on gendered political narrative today.^[5]

Narrative theory grew from the ideas present within literary theory which experienced reform during the 1940s when novels began to gain validity as a medium for literary study.^[3] Poetry and drama had been valued for the aesthetic in its form and structure, however, novels became significant for their ability to influence the reader more broadly.^[3] Narrative theory emerged from the notion that stories are able to provide an illustration of human nature rather than just impersonal narrations.^[3] Ideas surrounding narrative and political science began as a result of work conducted by scholar Walter R. Fisher who conceptualised the term narrative paradigm in order to contend that narrative is the most persuasive form of communication and is thus central to politics.^[5]

Narratives in politics often exclude marginalised groups, including women, due to the patriarchal history of the political system.^[9] The concepts behind gendered political narrative include the way in which women are framed in these narratives and the way that they have been omitted from creating them. This is largely to do with the lack of representation of women in politics and the gender inequality that still exists today which contribute to the lack of empowered female narratives in political arenas.^[9]

The importance of gender in political narratives is seen in its influential role in shaping the make-up of society, from the way we organise to the way we think.^[10] Thus, the male dominated way in which political decisions have been made and continue to be made today in the 21st century highlight the reason why political narratives started to become feminist with the Suffragette Movement and the increase of Women's Rights activists in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The media has had a key role in the facilitation and perpetuation of political narratives. In Australia, the media was used as a tool for spreading the narrative created for the Children Overboard affair to the public.^[6] More significantly, media played an extremely important role in the 2016 US presidential election not only within the United States, but also globally.^[11] However, the election campaign also highlighted the increasing significance of social media in facilitating political narratives as it has become the most used platform to access news sources.^[4]

The media is often linked to political violence and the ways in which terrorism prevails as a result of the distribution of messages through media outlets.^[2] However, the media is multifaceted and unique in its ability to portray multiple narratives while remaining impersonal. While media outlets run stories relevant to the people within their country, international news sources are essential in the perpetuation of political narratives outside of the storytellers target audience. The 2016 election is an exemplary example of the way in which narratives flow from place to place as the powerful nature of the United States media infrastructure allowed for content to be accessed limitlessly by international media.^[11] However, while the narratives during the election were not intended for audiences outside of the US, the international attention meant that they had an impact on global political actors.^[11]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Political narrative.

• Narrative
• Narrative paradigm
• Storytelling
• Political discourse
• Media and politics