2018/19 AmericasBarometer results show slide in support for democracy in the Americas

A new post in Democracy Digest has reported a slide in support for democracy in the Americas. The post relies on information from the 2018/19 AmericasBarometer report. The post notes that,

…Some twenty states across North and South America, including the Caribbean, were surveyed in this latest round of the AmericasBarometer, which is conducted every two years by LAPOP, a survey research lab at Vanderbilt University.

In the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, support for democracy has failed to rally following a significant fall two years ago, Vanderbilt’s Liz Entman writes:

• • Between 2004 and 2014, the percentage of support clustered consistently in the high 60s. In 2017 it dropped eight points to 58 percent, and in 2019 it stands at just above 57 percent.
  • Public satisfaction with democracy’s effectiveness also remains low after a hard 13-point fall in 2017. In the 2019 survey, just over 39 percent of the public reported satisfaction with how the democratic system is working in their country – the lowest average recorded to date since polling began in 2004.
  • Also concerning is that nearly a quarter of residents express support for executive coups—the shutdown of the legislature by the chief executive. This figure has steadily risen by nearly 10 points over the past 6 years.

… The results will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. The event will also be webcast – the webcast link will be available here.

See this post here.