Democracy at Risk: Uncovering Global Discontent and Institutional Doubts
The Perceptions of Democracy Survey (PODS) reveals several significant insights into global attitudes toward political institutions and democratic processes. The survey, conducted across 19 diverse countries, highlights below findings:
Widespread Dissatisfaction with Political Institutions:
A majority of respondents from various countries lack confidence in the performance of their political institutions and are generally more dissatisfied than satisfied with their governments.
Self-identified minorities, women, and low-income groups are particularly doubtful about the effectiveness and accessibility of political institutions.
Public perceptions are often more skeptical than those of experts regarding institutional performance.
Credibility of Elections:
In 11 out of 19 countries, less than half of the respondents trust the credibility of recent elections. In Taiwan and the USA, both considered high-performing by experts, less than 50% of people expressed confidence in their most recent elections.
Low-income respondents, especially in Iraq, Pakistan, Romania, and the Solomon Islands, overwhelmingly believe that their elections were not free and fair.
Access to Justice:
Globally, there is significant dissatisfaction with access to justice, with Denmark being the only country where a majority feels courts provide equal access.
Expert and popular opinions diverge notably, with Iraqis almost as confident in their courts as people in Taiwan and the USA, despite lower expert ratings for Iraq.
Freedom of Expression:
While most people believe they have the freedom to speak publicly, this confidence is not universal. In countries like Colombia, Pakistan, Romania, and Senegal, less than half of the respondents feel free to express themselves.
In wealthier, high-performing countries, minorities, low-income groups, and women are less confident in their freedom of expression.
Support for Democratic Values:
Support for non-democratic leadership persists even in high-performing democracies. In only six countries do a majority express unfavorable views toward strong leaders who bypass democratic processes.
In countries like India and Tanzania, a significant proportion of respondents express favorable views toward non-democratic leadership.
Satisfaction with Government:
In 17 out of 19 countries, less than half of the respondents are satisfied with their governments. India and Tanzania are exceptions, with 59% and 79% satisfaction rates, respectively.
Satisfaction gaps are particularly pronounced among self-identified minorities and low-income groups, with the USA, Denmark, Italy, and Taiwan showing significant disparities.
Intergenerational Progress:
Only in four countries do a majority believe they are better off than their parents. In 12 of the 19 countries, minorities are more likely to feel worse off than their parents.
Significant pessimism exists among low-income respondents, especially in wealthy European countries like Italy, Denmark, and Lithuania.