Varieties of Political Support in Emerging Democracies: A Cross-National Analysis
Katz Wisel, G; Levin, I
Date: 9 November 2017
Article
Journal
Social Science Research
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Political support is a multidimensional construct encompassing evaluations of
political leaders and institutions (specific support) as well as adherence to basic
regime principles (diffuse support). Scholars have traditionally assumed that
diffuse and specific support are driven by different forces and evolve largely independently.
Prior ...
Political support is a multidimensional construct encompassing evaluations of
political leaders and institutions (specific support) as well as adherence to basic
regime principles (diffuse support). Scholars have traditionally assumed that
diffuse and specific support are driven by different forces and evolve largely independently.
Prior empirical work, however, has struggled to untangle the two
support dimensions and focused predominantly on cross-national differences,
ignoring their dynamics. This paper develops an analytical and empirical approach
to examine the levels and dynamic interplay of both support dimensions
and estimate their determinants, applying it to South American democracies
between 1996 and 2015. Contrary to received wisdom, we show that both
dimensions are quite volatile and closely linked in this region. In particular,
negative economic shocks not only undermine support for government actors,
but also fuel democratic disenchantment. Nonetheless, while regime support is
rather fickle in South America, it can be ultimately resistant to performance
fluctuations.
Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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