Under the Veil of Democracy: What Do People Mean When They Say They Support Democracy?

Hannah S. Chapman, Margaret C. Hanson, Valery Dzutsati, Paul DeBell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Scholars have expressed concern over waning support for democracy worldwide. But what do ordinary citizens mean by the term “democracy," and how do their definitions of democracy influence their support for it? Using global cross-national survey data, this study demonstrates that individual variation in the understanding of democracy is substantively linked to democratic support across countries and regime contexts. Individuals who define democracy in terms of elections and the protection of civil liberties and those with greater conceptual complexity express higher support for democracy. This relationship between democratic conceptualization and support holds across diverse political contexts and alternative explanations. These results suggest that it is essential to consider divergent conceptualizations of democracy—and how they may vary systematically—when analyzing popular opinions of democracy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)97-115
Number of pages19
JournalPerspectives on Politics
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 8 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Political Science and International Relations

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