Stockholm syndrome within the framework of government-voter behaviour: Coalition years of 1991-2002 in Turkey

Abstract

It is very important to know the behaviour of the voter and analyze it properly for the achievement of political parties. Voters' behaviours are affected from not only social, psychological, economic, ideological and religious factors but also cyclical factors. In the parliament elections held in 1991, 1995 and 1999 in Turkey, the rate of voter changefullness increased and there was a big change in the choices of voters just like parties’. As a result of this voter tendency, the parties making the %10 election cut elected and became a potential coaliton members. In the parliament elections held in those years, there was not a working majority to form a one-party government, on the contrary, the rate of vote which the first party received decreased. The most remarkable side of the work is that it claims the emotional commitment occured between a bank robbery and the hostages known as "Stockholm Syndrome" in the literature was between the political power and the voter behaviours in the term 1991 and 2002. The most important factor evidence of this thesis that voter’s behaviours support coalition government and economic and politic instability rather economic and politic stability due to economic crisis happened in the mentioned period and major trauma happened in politics and economy. A play was displayed in which economic and political instability was inured behaviourally and only the cast (government) changed but the stage (economical and political conditions) stayed same. © International Economic Society.