🔎 Background and Research Question
The study examines how antipetismo—the Brazilian rejection of the Workers’ Party—expanded into a broader antipartisanship that targeted a wider set of parties and became associated with political intolerance. The core question is whether this generalized antipartisanship helps explain support for Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s 2018 presidential election.
📊 What Data and Design Were Used
- Data source: Barometer of the Americas (LAPOP), 2018/2019 wave.
- Approach: Statistical tests on survey measures capturing antipetismo, antipartisanship, attitudes toward mainstream parties, and indicators of political intolerance.
📌 Key Findings
- Antipetismo expanded into generalized antipartisanship that accommodated multiple party targets rather than focusing only on the Workers’ Party.
- There is a growing association between antipartisanship and political intolerance.
- Voting for Bolsonaro in 2018 was strongly related to both antipetismo and negative attitudes toward mainstream political parties, with especially strong effects when those attitudes were intense.
- Antipartisanship in its varied forms emerged as a relevant phenomenon and played a major role in shaping electoral choices in 2018, particularly the Bolsonaro vote.
⚖️ Why It Matters
- Shows that rejection of parties beyond a single target can reshape voter behavior and bolster anti-establishment candidates.
- Signals that rising antiparty sentiment combined with intolerance poses challenges for democratic competition and party-system stability.
