Demand without Supply? Populist Attitudes and Voting Behaviour in Post-Bailout Portugal

Abstract

Unlike other European nations, Portugal has experienced an absence of relevant populist parties, even if its recent background of severe economic crisis could have been a fertile ground for their advent. To illuminate this apparent contradiction, we look at the demand side of the equation, drawing on survey data to examine the spread, correlates, and potential electoral implications of populist attitudes in Portugal. We show that while individuals with a populist outlook do not share a particular socioeconomic profile, several attitudinal factors are significant predictors of individual-level populism. Furthermore, those with stronger populist attitudes are not more likely to abstain in elections, but rather tend to vote for parties that exhibit some degree of populism in their rhetoric.