First-time voters and honest political leaders: evidence from the 2019 presidential election in Romania

Gherghina, S. and Tap, P. (2021) First-time voters and honest political leaders: evidence from the 2019 presidential election in Romania. East European Politics, 37(3), pp. 496-513. (doi: 10.1080/21599165.2020.1824907)

Abstract

Voters favour some personal characteristics of political leaders over others. So far, we know little about why honesty is one of these characteristics. This article identifies what makes first-time voters to prefer honest political leaders. It uses an original survey conducted after the 2019 Romanian presidential elections. Our analysis argues and tests the explanatory power of three categories of determinants: trust in political institutions, voting for candidates outside politics, and electoral campaign. We find that the preferences of first-time voters for honest leaders are rooted in positive attitudes such as trust in institutions and the rejection of negative campaigning.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gherghina, Dr Sergiu
• Authors: Gherghina, S., and Tap, P.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: East European Politics
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 2159-9165
• ISSN (Online): 2159-9173
• Published Online: 25 September 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
• First Published: First published in East European Politics 37(3): 496-513
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher