Abstract
The Americas have the highest homicide rate of any region in the world, with adherence to rule of law being a major concern in “third-wave” democracies. Given the surge in violence in Mexico in the years after the country ended one-party rule, we utilize the country case to conceptually and empirically test the influence of violence and corruption as proxies for “dark networks” – covert actors working outside of the law – on citizens’ confidence in democracy and democratic institutions. In a largely empirically unexplored area, we operationalize the concept of dark networks and study the impact on citizens over critical junctures of three Mexican presidencies. Utilizing representative survey data, we analyze the impact of dark networks (homicides and direct knowledge of corrupt acts) on satisfaction with democracy and confidence in democratic institutions. Experience with corrupt acts had a significantly negative influence on satisfaction with democracy and confidence in democratic institutions and local government. Homicides had a significant yet only slightly positive influence on satisfaction with democracy and confidence in local government. Right-leaning ideology had a significant yet only weak positive influence on satisfaction with democracy and on confidence in institutions.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
