Resumen

CARLIN, Ryan E. THE SOCIOECONOMIC ROOTS OF SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND THE QUALITY IN LATIN AMERICA. Rev. cienc. polít. (Santiago) [online]. 2006, vol.26, n.1, pp.48-66. ISSN 0718-090X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-090X2006000100003.

This article examines how socioeconomic context and status affect intrinsic and overt support for democracy among Latin American publics. The relationship is important since many theorists have long proposed that citizens' attitudes matter for democratic stability and, more recently, the quality of democracy. The empirical results indicate that educated and wealthy individuals are most likely to support democratic governance and the values of "self-expression" that democratic institutions embody and protect. At the macro level, economic development fosters intrinsic support while inequality and poverty have negative effects on overt support for democratic governance in Latin America. Based on this analysis, I argue that aggregate and individual socioeconomic conditions play crucial roles in the formation of support for democracy. I conclude with a call for more explicit research into the connection between democratic support and the quality of democracy in post-authoritarian Latin America

Palabras clave : Apoyo a la democracia; Calidad de la democracia; Desigualdad; Pobreza; Desarrollo económico.