More (of) Democracy: European Citizens’ Views and Evaluations of Democracy

Abstract

Social and political theory recognizes several conjunctural, as well as long-term factors that shape how citizens conceptualize democracy and what they expect from it. Based on Round 10 of the European Social Survey, we analyse how Europeans view and evaluate democracy, distinguishing liberal (basic) model and several additions, such as social-democratic, participatory and populist models (that we analyse integrated as alternative model of democracy). We explore whether liberal and alternative models of democracy are mutually complementary or exclusionary, and which model prevails, but also to what extent there are discrepancies between the normative elements and evaluated outcomes. The paper examines whether and how the length of historical experience with democracy (operationalized through different waves of democratization) influences the predominant normative of democracy, as well as evaluations of the implemented standards. Finally, in the last section, the aim of the analysis is to draw conclusions on the profile of both proponents of liberal and alternative models of democracy but also of critical citizens, who value democracy as an ideal, while remaining wary in terms of its empirical manifestations.