European Sociological Review 8:167-180 1992
© 1992 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Does Scandal Influence Voters' Party Preference? The Case of Greece During the Papandreou Era
Betty A. Dobratz, Dept. of Sociology, East Hall, Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 USA
Stephanie Whitfield, 1003 Cole, #C, St Louis, MO 63101 USA
The literature on corruption and scandals suggests that there is an unsettled issue concerning whether the public opinion of citizens is greatly influenced by reports of scandal and corruption. Recent developments in Greek politics provide an excellent empirical setting for the testing of how much influence scandals may have on party preference and voting. Toward the end of and after the controversial Papandreou administration in Greece (June 1981June 1989), a great deal of attention was given to scandals that plagued the socialist government. Two of the major scandals centered on Papandreou's love affair with a former airline stewardess, and the Koskotas scandal that allegedly involved millions of dollars being transferred from the Bank of Crete to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), the ruling socialist party headed by Papandreou, and to friends of then Prime Minister Papandreou. The reaction of the Greeks to the love affair and the Koskotas scandal, and the potential influence of these reactions on party preference and voting are considered. Other variables that may be influential in shaping voting preferences are also examined.
Manuscript received: September 1, 1990.