Sverigedemokraterna och Järnrörsskandalen - en studie i SD-väljarnas beteende i samband med skandaler och negativ publicitet

Sammanfattning: This essay studies the subsident forces behind the recent success of the Swedish right-wing radical party, Sverigedemokraterna, by examining their supporters perception of, and reaction to, the negative publicity connected to a major scandal, Järnrörsskandalen, which the party endured in the year of 2012. The empirical evidence consists of statistics collected from reports by SOM-institutet and Svenska Statistiska Centralbyrån, and a series of interviews with supporters of Sverigedemokraterna. The essay finds that, in accordance with Pippa Norris's Partisan de-alignment thesis, the de-polarization of the established parties and the increased volatility in the electorate are the chief factors that has enabled Sverigedemokraterna to become successful. Furthermore the essay finds that the supporters limited trust in media also plays a crucial part. However, the essay concludes that the above mentioned factors might not account for all of the party's support and that, in cases concerning socially marginalized supporters, socially based theories might give a more satisfying explanation. Keywords: partisan de-alignment, right-wing radical parties, political distrust, established democracies