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Governmental Communication Strategies in Political Crises: A Systematic Review of Discourse, Narrative Control, and Power Legitimation (2010-2025)
Keywords:
crisis communication, political discourse, legitimization, transparency, state narrativeAbstract
Political crises demand effective state communication strategies to manage perceptions, control narratives, and legitimize power. This systematic review aimed to analyze the communication strategies implemented by States during political crises, identifying discursive patterns, mechanisms of narrative control, and processes of power legitimization reported in the scientific literature between 2010 and 2025. The SALSA protocol (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, Analysis) was applied, conducting searches in Scopus, Web of Science, Dialnet, and various institutional repositories, using descriptors such as “crisis communication,” “political discourse,” “government transparency,” and “state narrative.” A total of 25 qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies were selected and evaluated using the CASPe tool for systematic reviews to ensure methodological rigor. The results show that States often resort to epic and warlike discursive frameworks to justify decisions, reinforce authority, and delegitimize opponents, shifting public debate toward narratives centered on stability and order. Transparency appears as a strategic resource conditioned by ideology and political context, more oriented toward control than genuine openness. Likewise, digital communication, while facilitating geolocation and crisis response, continues to operate within vertical structures of information dissemination. In conclusion, state communication strategies during political crises reproduce power relations through carefully crafted discourses, revealing a persistent tension between traditional narrative control and the growing public demands for transparency, accountability, and active participation.
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