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Crime and Support for Democracy in Africa and Latin America

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  • Kenneth E. Fernandez
  • Michele Kuenzi

Abstract

Much of the scholarship on democratization has a myopic focus on economic conditions. Using Afrobarometer and Latinobarómetro survey data, the article examines how crime victimization and perceptions of crime influence citizens' attitudes toward democracy. After elaborating on several theoretical frameworks that help illuminate the relationship between crime and support for democracy, the article applies fixed effects and generalized hierarchical linear models to the cross‐national survey data. The results show that a citizen's perception of public safety is as important a factor as any socio‐economic variable in predicting support for and satisfaction with democracy. This finding is important because widespread support for democracy among the citizenry is considered a requisite for the consolidation of democracy.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth E. Fernandez & Michele Kuenzi, 2010. "Crime and Support for Democracy in Africa and Latin America," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 58(3), pages 450-471, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:polstu:v:58:y:2010:i:3:p:450-471
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2009.00802.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Angelo Cozzubo & Elard Amaya & Juan Cueto, 2021. "The social costs of crime: the erosion of trust between citizens and public institutions," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 93-117, June.
    2. Abdul Saboor & Shumaila Sadiq & Atta Ullah Khan & Gulnaz Hameed, 2017. "Dynamic Reflections of Crimes, Quasi Democracy and Misery Index in Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 31-45, August.
    3. Corbacho, Ana & Philipp, Julia & Ruiz-Vega, Mauricio, 2015. "Crime and Erosion of Trust: Evidence for Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 400-415.
    4. repec:gig:joupla:v:4:y:2012:i:2:p:89-123 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Verónica Michel, 2021. "Institutional Design, Prosecutorial Independence, and Accountability: Lessons from the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG)," Laws, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-13, July.
    6. Matteo Pazzona, 2020. "Do victims of crime trust less but participate more in social organizations?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 49-73, March.
    7. Julián Arévalo B., 2016. "State capacity and support for democracy: challenges and opportunities for post conflict Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo UEC 19536, Universidad Externado de Colombia.
    8. Gelvez, Juan David, 2024. "Coca Politics: Electoral Accountability and Tough-on-Crime Policies in Colombia," OSF Preprints yn9rz, Center for Open Science.
    9. Accetturo, Antonio & Bugamelli, Matteo & Lamorgese, Andrea R., 2017. "Law enforcement and political participation: Italy, 1861–65," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 224-245.
    10. Selim Jurgen Ergun & M. Fernanda Rivas & Máximo Rossi, 2019. "Satisfaction with democracy in Latin America: Do the characteristics of the political system matter?," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 83(9), pages 353-383, July.
    11. Kai-Ping Huang, 2023. "Support for Democracy in the Age of Rising Inequality and Population Aging," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 27-51, February.
    12. Kevin M. Morrison & Marc Rockmore, 2016. "Fear and Political Participation: Evidence from Africa," HiCN Working Papers 226, Households in Conflict Network.
    13. Iddisah Sulemana, 2015. "The Effect of Fear of Crime and Crime Victimization on Subjective Well-Being in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 849-872, April.
    14. Blanco, Luisa R., 2013. "The impact of crime on trust in institutions in Mexico," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 38-55.

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