Factors influencing political interest - the Hungarian case from a European perspective

Abstract

Abstract The paper aims to explain the decreasing trend of Hungarian citizens’ political interest that is mirrored by datasets of the European Social Survey (ESS). The starting point for our analysis is that the explanation lies in the eradication of “politics” as an expression. We assume that there is a link between political associations and political interest: negative associations reduce, while positive associations increase the political interest of respondents. In addition, our research also reveals whether positive associations are linked to cultural capital, including the level of education. Based on our results, the more politically interested are those who do not have a strong affective opinion, while those with strong negative emotional responses are less interested in politics. In Hungary, positive associations related to politics are not primarily determined by the extent of cultural capital, but by identification with right-wing political ideology. Keywords: political interest, association with politics, political affinity