The Democracy Barometers (Part II): Latin America's Diversity of Views

In the twelve years since the inception of the Latinobarómetro, Latin American societies have evolved politically and economically, sometimes considerably, but they have not been transformed. Levels of public support for democracy, underlying attitudes toward the democratic regimes in the region, and individual feelings and anxieties about politics and governance have changed in some countries, but only very gradually and unevenly in the region overall. While there are some signs of democratic progress and hope, more striking is the perception of democracy as being unresponsive and elite-dominated. In general, democratization in the region has been slow and heterogeneous; although citizens recognize some positive changes, so far these have been insufficient to achieve the kind of transformation in governance or social and economic structures that would help consolidate democracy.