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ID118427
Title ProperSocial inequality and assessments of democracy and the market
Other Title Informationevidence from Central and Eastern Europe
LanguageENG
AuthorWhitefield, Stephen ;  Loveless, Matthew
Publication2013.
Summary / Abstract (Note)Considerable comparative scholarly attention has been paid to various aspects of mass support for democracy and the market. However, despite strong theoretical suggestions of a linkage, little is known about the impact of social inequality on this support. We address this issue using evidence from mass surveys undertaken in 12 post-communist states in 2007, supplemented by country-level data about economic and political performance. Specifically, we investigate whether social inequality generates negative perceptions that democracy and the market will lead to social conflict and if it increases support for anti-democratic forms of governance. Notably, we find little link between citizens' expectations of social conflict and national-level indices of income inequality. However, we do find a link between perceptions of the extent of social inequality and expectations of market-generated-but not democracy-generated-conflict. Underscoring these positive and negative findings, perceptions of social inequality are also clearly consequential for support for 'strong-hand' economic government but not for anti-democratic leadership.
`In' analytical NoteEurope-Asia Studies Vol. 65, No.1; Jan 2013: p.26-44
Journal SourceEurope-Asia Studies Vol. 65, No.1; Jan 2013: p.26-44
Key WordsSocial Inequality ;  Democracy ;  Market ;  Post Communist States ;  Political Performance ;  Social Conflict ;  Income Inequality ;  Eastern Europe ;  Central Europe ;  Europe