Stressing Democratic Values: Support for democracy and political tolerance in Latin America (2008-2016/17), and during state crises in Brazil and Venezuela (2014-2016/17)

Abstract

Which factors determine citizens’ democratic values, and do they change under extreme circumstances? The thesis examines democratic values, specified as support for democracy and political tolerance, in Latin America, the factors that determine them, and the dynamics of said parameters in the context of the state crises in Venezuela and Brazil (2014/15-2016/17). The empirical basis for the analysis is two sets of regression models based on survey data provided by The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP/AmericasBarometer) and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem). The first set has eighteen countries in Latin America as its object of study. The hypotheses for the first stage of the analysis are based on a theoretical debate over democratic traditions and its influence on citizens’ democratic values. The results suggest that while democratic traditions do affect support for democracy positively, this is not the case for political tolerance. The hypotheses for the second stage are built on theoretical contributions suggesting that in contexts in which political polarization and mass partisanship dominate the political landscape before and during the crisis, the latter will be a defining trait in determining democratic values. The results, based on surveys taken before and during the state crises, suggest that mass partisanship is a strong predictor of political tolerance in the Venezuelan case, not in Brazil. Limited by country-specific and contextual traits, the results from both stages may be relevant for a general body of scholarship on democratic values and democratic consolidation. This is especially relevant for the contexts of crisis, where the theoretical framework is underdeveloped.