Who Deserves Representation, and When? Unpacking the Temporal Dynamics of Politicians’ Claims of Representation on Social Media

Politicians regularly claim to represent groups of citizens, shaping how these groups feel represented. However, most existing studies focus on groups deemed ‘deserving’ of representation or analyze claims made in election manifestos. This study therefore examines the temporal dynamics of politicians’ claims of representation, including both deserving and undeserving portrayals. Using advanced natural language processing methods, we analyze Belgian (Flemish) politicians’ claims on Facebook from 2014 to 2024. Our findings highlight three insights: (1) politicians claim to represent a diverse range of groups, but some face exclusionary claims (e.g. migrants, the rich) or are ignored (e.g. men, sexual minorities); (2) the frequency and focus of claims shift over time, often responding to elections and crises; and (3) inter-party differences in claims-making are more pronounced during non-election periods but narrow as elections approach. This study thereby shows that analyzing temporal dynamics reveals critical patterns in politicians’ representative claims-making.