Satisfaction with democracy predicts democratic behaviors.

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Comparative Politics
• Public Opinion

Background:

• Global surveys indicate a decline in citizen satisfaction with democracy.
• Existing research on democratic attitudes and behaviors is limited by self-reported data and macro-level analyses.
• Understanding individual-level links between satisfaction and engagement is crucial for assessing democratic health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between individual-level satisfaction with democracy and concrete democratic behaviors.
• To address limitations in prior research by using matched survey and administrative data.
• To assess whether dissatisfaction with democracy predicts lower engagement in specific democratic actions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized original data from over 50,000 surveys of Mexican citizens.
• Matched survey data with individual-level administrative records on democratic behaviors.
• Examined three key behaviors: poll worker training, staffing polling stations, and voter turnout.

Main Results:

• Survey-measured dissatisfaction with democracy was found to predict lower engagement across all three studied democratic behaviors.
• Individuals reporting lower satisfaction were less likely to participate in electoral activities.
• The findings establish a clear individual-level link between democratic attitudes and behaviors.

Conclusions:

• The decline in survey-measured satisfaction with democracy is a significant cause for concern regarding democratic engagement.
• Individual-level dissatisfaction has tangible negative consequences for democratic participation.
• This research underscores the importance of public satisfaction for the functioning of democracy.