Education, democratic governance, and satisfaction with democracy: Multilevel evidence from Latin America

2020 ◽  
pp. 019251212095287
Author(s):  
Alejandro Monsiváis-Carrillo ◽  
Gabriela Cantú Ramos

It is usually recognized that satisfaction with democracy is enhanced by clean governments and fair democratic procedures. However, under certain circumstances, some citizens might appreciate the quality of democratic governance more than others. Building on research that underlines the accuracy and norm-inducing functions of education, we argue that the quality of democratic governance conditions the relationship between education and satisfaction with democracy. Analyzing data from 18 Latin American countries, we find that higher-educated citizens are less satisfied with the regime than the less-educated. Among the highly educated, nonetheless, the least satisfied are those who were asked by public officials to pay bribes. Highly educated individuals are more satisfied with the regime if their country’s quality of democracy is robust rather than weak. At the lowest level of education, the conditional influence of being asked for a bribe or the quality of democracy is absent.

Author(s):  
Vicente Fonseca ◽  
Carlos F. Domínguez Avila ◽  
Henry Aniagoa Kifordu

The quality of democracy in Brazil can be analyzed and studied through seven dimensions based on Leornardo Morlino´s thought. It follows that the intellectual effort made in this article is centered on ‘Inter-institutional Accountability Dimension’. The studies’ objective is to describe and analyze the sub-dimensional levels of inter-institutional accountability by focusing on the Legislative relations with the Executive; the decisions of the Supreme Court; the Ombudsman and the General Audit of the Union, the Plural and Independent Information and the Bureaucratic Decentralization Models. In this context, we will examine the current political context of the country and seek to confirm the existence of a high level of inter-institutional accountability in Brazil in comparison with other Latin American Countries. Thereby, we will make proposals for improving the situation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Karel Kouba ◽  
Jan Pumr

Abstract Despite theoretical arguments suggesting the strong effects of presidential term limits and re-election on democracy, there is surprisingly little empirical evidence to evaluate them. We test both the effect on democracy of the existence of a consecutive re-election rule and of reforms introducing it for incumbent presidents. Using evidence from Latin American countries between 1945 and 2018, we test their relationship to both vertical and horizontal accountability. A synthetic control method is employed to account for the effect of term-limit reforms, and time-series cross-section models for modelling the association with the re-election rule. Both vertical and horizontal accountability as well as the quality of democracy are eroded by term-limit evasion reforms in most countries and strengthened in none between 1990 and 2018. Allowing presidents to run for re-election – relative to term-limited ones – is consistently associated with weak democratic outcomes.


Politologija ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-128
Author(s):  
Orestas Strauka

The article aims to evaluate whether and how constitutional replacements influence the quality of democracy in Latin American countries. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method is applied while analysing 18 Latin American countries. The objective of the article- nine new constitutions that are assigned to the new constitutionalism period. The results reveal that constitutional replacements are neither sufficient nor necessary condition for quality of democracy. On the contrary, the parsimonious solution shows that quality of democracy can be explained by both high levels of education and inversion of constitutional replacements and inversion of constitutional replacements, institutionalised party system and non-homogeneous society. Inversion of quality of democracy analysis indicated that constitutional replacements, together with other conditions, form sufficient conditions for inversion of quality of democracy.  


2020 ◽  
pp. 003232172095223
Author(s):  
Alejandro Monsiváis-Carrillo

Voters usually differ in their assessment of the regime’s legitimacy, depending on their status as winners or losers. However, how wide or narrow the winner–loser gap is also depends on the quality of democratic institutions. Using survey data from 18 Latin American countries, this research provides evidence that winners and losers respond differently to the quality of democracy. While most research is concerned with the losers’ consent, this study shows that the winners express more favorable assessments of the supply of freedoms, even in regimes where democracy is weak or undermined by the deliberate efforts of the political authorities. Instead, in their perception of freedoms, losers are more willing to acknowledge if the quality of democracy improves or declines. These results suggest that the potential consequences of the winner–loser gap for regime stability are highly dependent on the democratic attributes of the political context.


Author(s):  
Gustavo Rafael Escobar Delgado ◽  
Anicia Katherine Tarazona Meza ◽  
Andy Einstein García García

The research analyzes the relationship between factors of resilience and academic performance in disabled students studying at the Technical University of Manabí. It is a correlational descriptive study conducted with a population of 88 disabled students, of which two groups were selected, one with high academic performance and the other with low performance. A questionnaire was designed and applied to determine the level of quality of life and risk factors of adolescents. Resilience was measured with the SV-RES scale created for the Latin American population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. 996.1-996
Author(s):  
R.M. Xavier ◽  
J. Morales-Torres ◽  
D.C.R. Ramos-Remus ◽  
P. Chalem ◽  
J.F. Molina ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Claudia Elena Gafare ◽  
Mauro Serafini ◽  
Giulia Lorenzoni ◽  
Dario Gregori

Given the rising cost of healthcare, the increase in life expectancy and the wish for a better quality of life, the request for foods and beverages producing a beneficial effect on health has increased worldwide. “Functional food” is a new concept and may play a key role in diseases’ prevention and management. Although its meaning is currently under definition, its role in global health improvement is growing constantly. This article aims at giving a description of existing legislation on functional food in South America, identifying future directions for health and marketing policies. Furthermore, authors provide a literature revision on two products widely consumed in Latin American countries: Yerba Mate and Quinoa. Thanks to their beneficial health effects in terms of disease prevention and promotion of well-being, they may be considered as functional foods with a potential key role in health care.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1226-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Ruiz-Saenz ◽  
Marlen Martinez-Gutierrez

Introduction: Bibliometric analysis demonstrates that the virology research in Latin America has increased. For this reason, the objective of this study was to evaluate Colombian publications on viruses and viral diseases in indexed journals during the period from 2000 to 2013. Methodology: The bibliographic data were collected from MedLine, SciELO, LILACS and Scopus databases. The database was constructed in Excel descriptive statistics. The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) was evaluated using the SCImago Journal & Country Rank in 2013 and was used as an indicator of the quality of the journals used by the Colombian researchers. Results: The total number of papers published was 711, of which 40.4% were published in local journals, and 59.6% were published in foreign journals. Most (89.2%) were original papers. Moreover, 34.2% of the papers were published in collaboration with international researchers, with the United States being the most represented. Of the journals used, 85.6% had an SJR, and 14.4% did not. The median SJR of the papers was 0.789, and the median of the papers with international collaborators was higher compared to the SJR of the papers without international collaboration. Papers were most frequently published in journals whose categories were medicine (miscellaneous), virology, and infectious diseases. The viruses that appeared in the papers more frequently were HIV, dengue, and papillomavirus. Conclusions: This study provides data for use in research, health planning, and policy analysis as it relates to virology in Colombia and other developing Latin American countries.


Author(s):  
Jennifer Vanessa Zaldumbide Vaca ◽  
Angie Nathaly Santacruz Mediavilla ◽  
Pamela Fernanda Heredia Pazmiño

Better regulation is a public policy that governments implement to improve the quality of life of their citizens. These policies bring significant benefits to all market players, among the most palpable are innovation, administrative simplification, a clear commitment by the government, and competitiveness. A fundamental entity for the development of this type of regulation is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), whose main objective is to create policies that improve the quality of life of citizens around the world. Among the members of this organization are first world countries such as the United States and Spain, as well as third world Latin American countries such as Mexico and Colombia, whose government administration serves as a model for the Ecuadorian people. It is because, without considering that their economies are not as large, developed, and stable, they have managed with the commitment, perseverance, and responsibility to be supported by this international institution. Nowadays, the problem of over and deregulation that has remained in Ecuador. Since the beginning of its history, it serves as an axis of study to propose the implementation of regulatory improvement within its political system. In order do this, it must be considering the principles of governance, proper preparation for its application, and the professionalism of all market players.


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