Perceptions of Democracy in Guatemala: an Ethnic Divide?

Abstract

As democracy spreads around the world, new challenges and questions arise as to how liberal democracy fits in societies where large segments of the population do not share Western values and lifestyles. This article explores whether or not democratic values and political behaviour vary among the two major ethnic groups existing in Guatemala, the Western-oriented Ladino population and the indigenous Maya population. Using a political science framework of analysis and survey data, the article examines individual-level differences with respect to the support for democracy, the prevalence of authoritarian orientations, and political participation. Multivariate statistical models show that there are minor differences between the two ethnic groups and that other variables account for the variation among the population, particularly gender, education, the perception of corruption in government, and physical insecurity. In brief, the results show that there does not seem to be an ethnic divide in Guatemala with regards to measures commonly used in academic surveys around the world to assess democratic culture.