ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews why metaphor and narrative are important for civic reasoning and cognition, how they are similar, and how they are likely to be related. The discussion highlights the cognitive nature of language, the need for an integrated model of civic cognition that includes both metaphor and narrative, prospects for the more explicit incorporation of metaphor and narrative in civic education, and the inextricability of political cognition from its social context. Because they shape political identities, frame political issues, and offer the potential to enhance civic tolerance and reflection, metaphor and narrative feature prominently in civic cognition and merit further investigation. The scope for future research on metaphor and narrative in civic cognition remains wide, encompassing both individual differences and ecological considerations. Metaphor and narrative are two productive research pathways that secure a more unified model of civic cognition. Although metaphor and narrative provide efficient heuristic devices that facilitate cognitive coherence and categorization, also leave citizens susceptible to bias.
