Discrepâncias entre a democracia idealizada e a democracia percecionada: um estudo comparativo entre Portugal e Espanha

António Geraldo Manso Calha

doi:10.31637/epsir-2024-1635

Authors

António Geraldo Manso Calha Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8883-5082

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-1635

Keywords:

Democracy, Citizen Perception, International Comparison, European Social Survey, Portugal, Spain

Abstract

Introduction: There is a growing perception that democracy in Western countries is facing a crisis, characterized by an erosion of popular support and an increasing sense of distrust in democratic institutions. The difficulty in understanding the causes of the phenomenon of democratic backsliding is immediately conditioned by the lack of consensus on the definition of the concept of democracy due to its complexity and multidimensionality. Methodology: The data used in the research comes from the European Social Survey (round 10: 2020-2022), including a representative sample of the population of Portugal and Spain. Results: The results indicate a significant discrepancy between the idealized expectations of citizens and their perception of democratic reality in Portugal and Spain. The idealized scores are high, reflecting aspirations for social justice, equality, and participatory democracy, while the actual perceptions are substantially lower, suggesting disillusionment with the practical implementation of these ideals. Discussion: The results are consistent with the trend recorded in recent years, providing a conducive context for the growth of new movements and political parties that challenge the status quo in both countries. Conclusions: The results of this study have important implications for the formulation of public policies that reduce the discrepancies between expectations and democratic reality.

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Author Biography

António Geraldo Manso Calha, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre

Introduction: There is a growing perception that democracy in Western countries is facing a crisis, characterized by an erosion of popular support and an increasing sense of distrust in democratic institutions. The difficulty in understanding the causes of the phenomenon of democratic backsliding is immediately conditioned by the lack of consensus on the definition of the concept of democracy due to its complexity and multidimensionality. Methodology: The data used in the research comes from the European Social Survey (round 10: 2020-2022), including a representative sample of the population of Portugal and Spain. Results: The results indicate a significant discrepancy between the idealized expectations of citizens and their perception of democratic reality in Portugal and Spain. The idealized scores are high, reflecting aspirations for social justice, equality, and participatory democracy, while the actual perceptions are substantially lower, suggesting disillusionment with the practical implementation of these ideals. Discussion: The results are consistent with the trend recorded in recent years, providing a conducive context for the growth of new movements and political parties that challenge the status quo in both countries. Conclusions: The results of this study have important implications for the formulation of public policies that reduce the discrepancies between expectations and democratic reality.

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