Democracy learned or lost?

• Department of Political and Social Sciences

This session of the Political Behaviour Colloquium features a presentation by Gina Aniano, PhD candidate at the Universitat de Barcelona.

This study examines how formative regime experiences shape both normative and performance-based (instrumental) democratic support during periods of backsliding. Using longitudinal data from 1994 to 2020 across 24 autocratisation episodes, the author draws on theories of attitudinal development to argue that regime performance during the formative years—particularly around age 18—can influence later democratic attitudes. Comparing individuals who came of age during autocratisation to those socialised under democratic conditions within the same countries, the results show a strong cohort effect: economic growth during the formative years significantly predicts democratic support for those socialised under backsliding. Contrary to initial expectations, higher growth boosts both normative support (e.g. 'democracy is better than any other form of government') and instrumental support (political trust), while support for authoritarian alternatives (e.g., a strong leader bypassing parliament) is largely unaffected. These findings suggest that performance-based evaluations can reinforce democratic attachments even when normative support is presumed to erode, highlighting the enduring influence of early regime experiences and civic learning under uncertain political conditions 

The Zoom link will be sent upon registration.