Crime Reporting and Diffuse Support for Democracy in Latin America

• In Event: Political Science Education & Comparative Politics of Developing Countries 1 Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual Poster Session: Comparative Politics of Developing Countries Virtual Poster Session 1

Abstract

As democracies through the region of Latin America continue to struggle to contain crime and violence, the stability of democracy is uncertain. While it is well established that crime victimization and fear of crime can undermine specific support for democracy, the effects of the perceptions and experiences with insecurity on diffuse support for democratic values and principles is less clear. This project focuses on the role of media messaging on crime in undermining democratic support. Using hand-coding of thousands of news articles across 17 Latin American countries along with survey data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project, I assess whether or not the communication of crime and violence has an independent effect on citizens' perception that democracy is the best system, that they actually live in a democracy, and that undemocratic behavior - like bribing police officers - is justified. I find that salience of crime in the media undermines diffuse democratic support, and that reporting on drug-trafficking, in particular, is influential in this regard.

Author

• Scott Liebertz, University of South Alabama