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Fiddling while Democracy Burns: Partisan Reactions to Weak Democracy in Latin America.
- Source :
- Perspectives on Politics; Mar2023, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p9-26, 18p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Democracy is weakened when citizens and elites do not criticize actions or actors that undermine its principles. Yet this study documents a widespread pattern of partisan rationalization in how elites and the public evaluate democratic performance in Latin America. Survey data show that those whose party controls the presidency consistently express positive evaluations of the current state of democratic competition and institutions even when democracy in their country is weak. This pattern emerges in both mass survey data and among elected elites. These data have a worrying implication: if only the political opposition is willing to publicly acknowledge and sound the alarm when democracy is under attack, public pressure to protect democracy is likely to be dramatically reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- DEMOCRACY
POLITICAL opposition
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 15375927
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Perspectives on Politics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 162677104
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592721002899