by Samuel Silva

These seemingly incompatible perceptions about the benefits of democracy were among the findings of a comprehensive 1996 survey of attitudes on government, politics and the economy in 17 Latin American countries conducted by Latinobarómetro, a private polling organization based in Santiago, Chile.

Good for the other guy

The survey results, which were recently presented at IDB headquarters, offer some fascinating glimpses into the perceptions of people who have lived through a period of great social and economic change.

The survey showed that even in countries where a strong majority prefers democracy, a significant minority would choose an authoritarian regime under certain circumstances. That minority is 26 percent of the population in Paraguay, 24 percent in Brazil, 23 percent in Chile and Mexico and 21 percent in Guatemala.

According to Latinobarómetro, Costa Rica and Uruguay stand out as the countries where democracy enjoys the highest level of support--80 percent. With one exception, at least 50 percent of citizens in every other surveyed country also prefer democracy. In Honduras, only 42 percent of those surveyed favor democracy, while close to 30 percent said they do not care what kind of government they have and 14 percent said an authoritarian regime could sometimes be preferable.

Surprisingly, favorable opinions of democracy did not translate into approval of the local state of affairs. In all but two of the surveyed countries, less than 34 percent of respondents answered "yes" when asked if they were satisfied with democracy as it functions in their own country. Only in Costa Rica (51 percent) and Uruguay (52 percent), did more than half answer yes.

According to Marta Lagos, director of Latinobarómetro, many respondents to the latter question were actually issuing a verdict on the performance of the government currently in power, a bias that might help explain the apparent contradiction in respondents' view of democracy.

Many observers believe these responses underscore the importance of accelerating so-called "second generation" reforms in the region. If income distribution were more equitable, judicial systems more efficient and independent, and politicians more accountable, public perception of the local functioning of democracy would probably improve.

Useful data

Latinobarómetro's findings have been used by the IDB in several of its studies, notably in the research papers presented in the seminar "Latin America After a Decade of Reforms: What Comes Next?" that took place last March at the Bank's annual meeting in Barcelona. Highlights of those papers were featured in the May issue of THE IDB.

Regional surveys are increasingly being used by researchers and policymakers, according to Liliana Rojas-Suárez, principal advisor in the IDB's Office of the Chief Economist. The Bank, for instance, is presently carrying out studies on urban violence and corruption that use opinion polls findings.