The meaning and value of democracy

Support for democracy is highest among people who define democracy as free elections and civil liberties

What does democracy mean to citizens across the globe, and how does a person’s understanding of democracy affect their support for it? Researchers studied this question by looking at survey data from more than 90 countries over multiple decades. They found that the highest support for democracy is expressed by citizens who define democracy in terms of elections and civil liberties. The connection between support for democracy and defining democracy as elections/rights is true regardless of the regimes under which people live. This research suggests that understanding support for democracy requires understanding how citizens think about democracy, and that countries where citizens do not define democracy as elections and civil rights may be more vulnerable to democratic backsliding.

Citizens value both competence and democracy

Are citizens willing to tolerate violations of democratic rules by competent political leaders? A recent paper studied this question with an experiment varying the competence and democratic behavior of hypothetical political candidates. The paper found that citizens value both competence and democratic behavior. At the same level of competence, citizens always prefer a democratic leader to an undemocratic one, but citizens prefer an undemocratic competent leader to an incompetent democratic one. This paper helps explain the successes and failures of undemocratic political leaders around the world: although these leaders can gain support by appearing to be competent, competence does not make citizens tolerate undemocratic behavior entirely.

Do you have a study we should share for a future Facty Friday? Send an email to drg.el@usaid.gov!