Abstract
The paper attempts to analyze the results of the European Social Survey Round 6 (2012, 2013), focusing on the section related to how democracy is understood in Poland and in the Czech Republic. The most interesting issue encompassed the differences in how democracy is defined in the two countries and the outcomes these differences produce in terms of the perceived legitimacy of the system, as well as demographic factors that correlate with differences in the understanding of democracy in both surveyed groups. Statistical analyses carried out in the paper indicated the presence of different definitions of democracy formulated in Poland and in the Czech Republic (the Czechs gave stronger emphasis to the liberal aspect of democracy, whereas Poles stressed its social aspects more). Nevertheless, the relationship between the definition of democracy and the perceived level of legitimacy of the democratic system (for dispersed and specific legitimacy alike) were found to be relatively weak, as was the case of the relationship between the understanding of democracy, system legitimacy and socio-demographic factors. The only factor found to be significant for the perceived level of legitimacy of the democratic system concerned the level of satisfaction with one’s own material situation.
Highlights
The purpose of this article is to analyze the results of research carried out under the European Social Survey in the part referring to the understanding of democracy in Poland and the Czech Republic
This is not entirely satisfactory if we take into account the fact that Czech society has experienced life in an undemocratic system
Perhaps it should be taken into account that the Czech Republic has, unlike other countries in the region, including Poland, a “special historical heritage” in the form of a parliamentary democracy which functioned from the time when the Czechoslovakian Republic was established in 1918 until the Munich Agreement in 1938
Summary
We are interested in the differences between the definition of democracy in the two countries and their consequences for the legitimacy of the system, as well as demographic factors influencing the way in which democracy is understood in the two countries concerned. ŚSP 4 ’18 ences between the two countries, related to their respective experiences with the democratic system and its operation, will translate into a different understanding of the concept of democracy (in the sense of associations with this system) (hypothesis 1). We assume that the conception of democracy will translate into the perceived legitimacy of the democratic system (hypothesis 2). We assume differences in definitions of democracy related to gender, material situation, place of residence and education
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