As measures of liberal democracy in America have declined slightly, support for democracy has edged back up
ONE OF THE assumptions often made about democracies is that, like wine, they get more palatable with age. Citizens of democratic societies grow up learning about the benefits of political freedoms and civil liberties. As adults, they reap the rewards of representative government. The more time a country spends as a democracy, the argument goes, the more the public will support it.suggests this presumption may be wrong.
This phenomenon can be seen most clearly in autocracies and fledgling democracies. After Egypt began experimenting with representative democracy in 2012, following decades of authoritarian rule and a popular revolution sparked by the Arab Spring, public support for democracy fell. A similar story has played out elsewhere. Croatia, Kenya and Peru, for example, all witnessed declines in support for democracy following the introduction of greater political freedoms and liberties .
The inverse also holds. After Hugo Chávez began dismantling Venezuela’s democratic institutions following his election in 1998, enthusiasm for democracy spiked. It would eventually reach levels found in Scandinavia, where support for democracy is higher than it is in most regions. “It’s such a clear effect of people reacting to Chávez undermining democracy,” says Mr Claassen.
This relationship emerges in countries with long-established democracies, too. As America’s democracy strengthened in the early 2000s, public support dipped. In the past few years, as measures of liberal democracy in America have declined slightly, support has edged back up. Increases in electoral representation of and participation by women and minorities have tended to increase America’s rankings in international democracyover the years.
Why are people so fickle about something so fundamental? Mr Claassen reckons that the introduction of certain liberal aspects of democracy—such as the protection of individual rights and checks on executive power—may dampen support for it. These features may be more difficult for the public to accept than principles such as majority rule . The study is a reminder that support for democracy cannot be taken for granted.
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