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We examine the long-term stability (on decade-like time scales) of optical`high polarization' (HP) state with $p_{opt}$ $> 3\%$, which commonly occurs inflat-spectrum (i.e., beamed) radio quasars (FSRQs) and is a prominent marker ofblazar state. Using this clue, roughly a quarter of the FSRQ population hasbeen reported to undergo HP $\leftrightarrow$ non-HP state transition onyear-like time scales. This work examines the extent to which HP (i.e., blazar)state can endure in a FSRQ, despite these `frequent' state transitions. This isthe first attempt to verify, using purely opto-polarimetric data for a muchenlarged sample of blazars, the recent curious finding that blazar state inindividual quasars persists for {\it at least} a few decades, despite itschanging/swinging observed fairly commonly on year-like time scales. Thepresent analysis is based on a well-defined sample of 83 radio quasars,extracted from the opto-polarimetric survey RoboPol (2013-17), for which oldopto-polarimetric data taken prior to 1990 could be found in the literature. Bya source-wise comparison of these two datasets of the same observable($p_{opt}$), we find that $\sim$ 90% of the 63 quasars found in blazar state inour RoboPol sample, were also observed to be in that state about 3 decadesbefore. On the other hand, within the RoboPol survey itself, we find thatroughly a quarter of the blazars in our sample migrated to the otherpolarization state on year-like time scales, by crossing the customary$p_{opt}$ = 3% threshold. Evidently, these relatively frequent transitions (ineither direction) do not curtail the propensity of a radio quasar to retain itsblazar (i.e., HP) state for at least a few decades. The observedtransitions/swings of polarization state are probably manifestation oftransient processes, like ejections of synchrotron plasma blobs (VLBI radioknots) from the active nucleus.

The transience and persistence of high optical polarization state in beamed radio quasars