Latin Americans’ Views on Democracy, Institutions, and Regional Integration (IDB)
April 2020
Authors: Paula Garnero; Ángeles Barral Verna; Ana Inés Basco
Executive Summary
Citizens across Latin America express dissatisfaction with the economic and political systems of their countries. There are high levels of discontent regarding democracy, public institutions, corruption, and perceptions of progress, which are closely linked to expectations about the future of the economy and individuals’ personal and family economic situations.
Building more satisfied societies requires simultaneous action on two fronts: strengthening institutions and promoting each country’s economic development within a broader strategy of regional integration and international engagement. The stronger citizens’ sense of progress, the greater their confidence in the political system. Conversely, the greater the perception of transparency and institutional strengthening, the more optimistic people become about their economic future.
Political and economic systems go hand in hand: they reinforce and enhance one another. This dynamic reveals that there are both lights and eclipses, advances and setbacks, but that—together with the political integration of the region’s countries—it may represent the path toward development and the well-being of all citizens.
Main Findings
Citizens across Latin America express dissatisfaction with the economic and political systems of their countries. There are high levels of discontent regarding democracy, public institutions, corruption, and perceptions of progress.
This conclusion emerges from the analysis of more than 20,000 surveys conducted across 18 countries in the region, along with extensive historical data collected by Latinobarómetro in partnership with INTAL-IDB.
Nearly eight out of ten citizens believe that their country is not making progress. Seven out of ten are dissatisfied with the way democracy functions, and eight out of ten believe that the government is controlled by a few individuals who do not work for the common good.
Dissatisfaction with democracy is closely linked to expectations about the future of the economy and individuals’ personal and family financial situations: 83% of people who believe that either the country’s economy or their own personal situation will worsen over the next year are dissatisfied with democracy.
Building more satisfied societies requires simultaneous action on two fronts: strengthening institutions and promoting each country’s economic development within a broader strategy of regional integration and international engagement.
The stronger citizens’ sense of progress, the greater their confidence in the political system. Conversely, the greater the perception of transparency and institutional strengthening, the more optimistic people become about their economic future.
Political and economic systems go hand in hand: they reinforce and enhance one another. This dynamic demonstrates that there are lights and eclipses, advances and setbacks, but that—together with the political integration of the countries of the region—it may represent the path toward development and the well-being of all citizens.