Commitment to democracy in Mozambique: Performance evaluations and cognition: Evidence from Round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey data

Type Working Paper - CSSR Working Paper no. 204
Title Commitment to democracy in Mozambique: Performance evaluations and cognition: Evidence from Round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey data
Author(s)
Issue 204
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2007
Page numbers 1-44
URL http://www.cssr.uct.ac.za/sites/cssr.uct.ac.za/files/pubs/WP204.pdf
Abstract
This study explores the nature of Mozambicans’ commitment to democracy by testing and examining cognitive and performance evaluation factors, using Round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey. It finds that Mozambicans are less committed to democracy than many other Africans but their levels of procedural understanding of democracy are higher. My main findings are as follows: First, levels of information are the main source of popular commitment to democracy. Second, both evaluations of economic and political performance matter for Mozambicans’ commitment to democracy. Third, the effects of political performance matter more than economics. Fourth, people who have high levels of information (from news media use and formal education), discuss politics with friends or neighbors and obtain their information from relatively more independent sources (such as participation in collective action and contacting religious leaders) are more likely to be committed democrats. Fifth, procedural understandings of democracy are positively relevant for individual commitment to democracy.

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