Public attitudes towards parties in Portugal : a longitudinal overview

Abstract

This article reviews the case of the often claimed crisis of parties in Portugal, and argues that such controversy rests at least in part on ambiguous evidence. We will try to answer two fundamental research questions: 1) What motivates popular support for political parties (or lack thereof)? 2) Why does antiparty rhetoric resonate with some citizens, but not with others? The empirical data and statistical regression models used allow the following conclusion: in the eyes of Portuguese citizens, parties have become a kind of necessary evil, being criticized for what they actually do and supported for what they are supposed to do.