Researching electoral behaviour in Portugal: history and prospects

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of existing research into the electoral behaviour of the Portuguese, notably since democratisation in 1974, and indicates areas of relevance for future research. Valuable studies of electoral behaviour already exist, providing useful information. However, research on electoral behaviour in Portugal remains unsystematic and dispersed, weakening its cross-time and cross-country applicability. A greater systematisation of research is thus to be welcomed, providing as it will insight into areas that existing research is unable to clarify, elucidating others that remain contradictory in the existing literature, and quite likely throwing into relief «new» phenomena.