The Mysteries of Greek Politics

Politics in Modern Greece, by Keith Legg. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 367 pp.

Greek politics is terra incognita to most non-Greeks, including all too many of those responsible for American policy toward Greece. The Greeks themselves usually know a little more about their country’s history, but much of what they know isn’t so. For both Greeks and non-Greeks, the factual vacuum tends to be filled by stereotypes and myths.

One stereotype dear to political scientists is that pre-1967 Greek politics was based on patron-client relationships rather than ideological differences, and was therefore essentially meaningless. This charge has been taken up by both the Left and the ruling junta for th...