1. 1
University of Peloponnese
Faculty of Social and Political Relations
Department of Political Studies and International Relations
Master Program in
« International Relations and Political »
What factors influence the political vote in Greece
today?
Comparative study between the age groups 18-24 and 35-
44.
Tsoutsi Helen
Corinth, September 2015
3. 3
What factors influence the political vote in Greece today?
Comparative study between the age groups 18-24 and 35-44.
Keywords: political behavior, vote, electoral profile, age
Abstract
The stability of the political behavior in Greece is now under «crisis» due to the general
economic and social situation in the country. This switch in the political scenery has been the
«trigger for the current research, aiming to uncover the factors that have a significant impact
on the political vote. Specifically, the influence of age on the political vote is the center line
of the current research. In detail, the factors that determine the political vote were studied in
individuals aged 18-24 and 35-44. These age groups were selected in order to assess potential
differences between them, due to the early political socialization of the young individuals
aged 18-24 compared to the settled socialization experiences of adults 35-44, who in contrast
with the young individuals aged 18-24 are already in the work environment and have more
direct contact with politics. Among the factors that were investigated belong the ideology, the
concept of party identification, the family, the media, the issue vote and the interest in
politics. The results of the study revealed significant differences between the two age groups.
In specific, the majority of individuals who belonged in the age group of 18-24 self-placed
themselves left on the ideology scale in comparison with the individuals who belonged in the
age group of 35-44 who self-placed themselves right on the scale. The family seemed to play
a more significant role concerning the political vote among those aged 35-44. The same trend
was observed regarding the thematic vote, with the individuals aged 35-44 reporting to be
influenced more from factors like unemployment and economy in comparison with those
aged 18-24. The election profile of young individuals aged 18-24 is outlined on a different
structure from the election profile of adults aged 35-44 in the current situation in Greece.
Further studies are needed in order to investigate whether the observed differences between
the young individuals aged 18-24 and the older citizens aged 35-44 comprise relatively stable
differences due to the age difference between the groups or are the result of the current
unstable situation in Greece.