The annual poll, conducted by Chilean firm Latinobarómetro, is based on 20,000 face-to-face interviews in 18 Latin American countries. Pollsters found this year that while enthusiasm for democratic governments has generally declined throughout the hemisphere, Venezuela is bucking the trend, fueled by new optimism in the economy and overall satisfaction with government.
Latinobarómetro has conducted similar country-by-country surveys for the past decade, and is widely recognized as a leading multi-country public opinion polling firm in Latin America. Below are some of the highlights of the poll results. For an analysis of the results for Venezuela, including charts showing the country-by-country breakdown, please visit http://www.veninfo.org/news/latbar2005.html
DEMOCRACY
- Venezuelans are more likely than citizens of other Latin American countries to describe their government as "totally democratic."
- More than three in four Venezuelans prefer democracy over all other forms of government--the second highest ranking in the region.
- Venezuelans have the second highest satisfaction level in the region with the way their democracy functions.
ECONOMY
- Venezuelans are far less worried about becoming unemployed than others in the region.
- Venezuela is the second most optimistic country in Latin America about the direction of their economy.
POLITICS AND CORRUPTION
- While most Latin Americans think that politics is too complicated to understand, only 2 in 5 Venezuelans share their frustration.
- Venezuelans are optimistic that their government is effectively dealing with corruption.
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
Looking at the country by country breakdown, [http://www.veninfo.org/news/latbar2005.html] Venezuelans are more content with their government and economy than the vast majority of Latin Americans. Perhaps there is some cultural tendency that makes Venezuelans more optimistic by nature? A year-by-year analysis of Venezuelan opinions indicates that this is not the case. Latinobarómetro polls from 1996-1998 indicate that in the three years before President Hugo Chavez was elected, Venezuelans had a much lower level of satisfaction with the way their democracy functioned.
Another obvious conclusion is that more Venezuelans believe their country is "totally democratic" than do citizens of other Latin American nations. Perhaps Venezuelans define democracy differently than a North Americans would? You may remember that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has referred to "democratically elected leaders who govern in an illiberal way." But when asked to describe the most important characteristics of a democracy, Venezuelans were far more likely than citizens of any other country in the region to prioritize civil liberties over elections.
In other words, Venezuelans largely have the same definition of a democracy as the United States.
For more data, visit http://www.veninfo.org/news/latbar2005.html
