In this article we discuss the affective dimension in Laclau’s theory of hegemony. We offer a reconstruction of Laclau’s theory and focus on the incorporation of the affective dimension as an inherent component of every process of hegemony construction. We argue that this affective component cannot be strictly reduced to linguistic operations. By considering the relation between hegemony and affective economy we can revalue the theoretical contribution of Laclau, identifying the heuristic tools he offered for socio-political analysis.