DOCSLIB.ORG

The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador: 2006

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador: 2006 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… TTHHEE PPOOLLIITTIICCAALL CCUULLTTUURREE OOFF DDEEMMOOCCRRAACCYY IINN EELL SSAALLVVAADDOORR ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… By: Ricardo Córdova Macías, FUNDAUNGO José Miguel Cruz, IUDOP-UCA Mitchell A. Seligson, Ph.D., Scientific Coordinator and Editor of the Series, Vanderbilt University ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… San Salvador, January 2007 This study was carried out thanks to the support of the Democracy and Governance Program of the United States Agency for International Development. The opinions expressed in this study belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the point of view of the United States Agency for International Development. The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador: 2006 Table of Contents List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables........................................................................................................................................ x Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... xi Preface............................................................................................................................................... xvi Prologue........................................................................................................................................... xviii Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 I. The national context ............................................................................................................... 2 1.1 The socioeconomic context..............................................................................................2 1.1.1 A regional view of human development in El Salvador.......................................................... 2 1.1.2 Poverty in El Salvador................................................................................................................. 5 1.1.3 Economic performance................................................................................................................ 5 1.1.4 Citizen evaluation of economic performance .............................................................................. 8 1.2 The political-electoral panorama..........................................................................................10 1.2 The study of political culture in El Salvador..................................................................13 II. Survey methodology ............................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Characteristics of the final sample .......................................................................................17 2.2 Comparison of sample characteristics with population characteristics................................21 III. Concepts of democracy......................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Salvadorans’ definitions of democracy................................................................................23 3.2 Opinions of democracy ........................................................................................................33 3.3 Definitions of democracy and support for the system..........................................................39 3.4 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................................41 IV. Support for democracy......................................................................................................... 43 4.1 Support for the system..........................................................................................................43 4.1.1 Levels of support for the system (1995-2006)........................................................................... 45 4.1.2 A comparative view of support for the system.......................................................................... 47 4.1.3 An explanation for levels of support for the system in El Salvador ......................................... 47 4.1.4 Support for the system model.................................................................................................... 47 4.1.5 Age and support for the system ................................................................................................. 48 4.1.6 Income levels and support for the system.................................................................................. 48 4.1.7 Education and support for the system........................................................................................ 49 4.1.8 Evaluation of the president’s job performance and support for the system............................... 51 4.1.9 Ideology and support for the system.......................................................................................... 52 4.1.10 Political preferences and support for the system .................................................................... 53 4.1.11 Satisfaction with the performance of democratic governance and support for the system...... 54 4.1.12 The country’s economic situation and support for the system ................................................ 56 4.1.13 Trust in the judicial system and support for the system .......................................................... 57 4.1.14 Treatment received from municipalities and support for the system....................................... 58 4.1.15 Population stratum and support for the system........................................................................ 59 4.1.16 Extended factors of support for the system ............................................................................. 61 4.2 Tolerance..............................................................................................................................64 4.2.1 Levels of political tolerance (1995-2006).................................................................................. 65 4.2.2 A comparative view of political tolerance................................................................................. 67 4.2.3 An explanation of political tolerance in El Salvador................................................................. 67 4.2.4 Political tolerance model ........................................................................................................... 68 4.2.5 Education and tolerance............................................................................................................. 68 4.2.6 Gender and tolerance ................................................................................................................. 69 iii The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador: 2006 4.2.7 Home furnishings and tolerance ................................................................................................ 70 4.2.8 Evaluation of the president’s job performance and tolerance.................................................... 70 4.2.9 Ideology and tolerance............................................................................................................... 71 4.2.10 Satisfaction with the performance of democratic governance and tolerance........................... 73 4.2.11 Populational stratum and tolerance.......................................................................................... 74 4.3 Support for stable democracy...............................................................................................75 4.3.1 Empirical relationship between tolerance and support for the system in El Salvador............... 76 4.3.2 A comparative view of democratic stability.............................................................................. 77 4.4 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................................78 V. Corruption and democracy.................................................................................................. 79 5.1 Perception of the magnitude of corruption...........................................................................81 5.2 Levels of corruption .............................................................................................................88 5.2.1 Victims of corruption................................................................................................................. 92 5.3 Justification for corruption...................................................................................................94 5.4 Corruption and democracy.................................................................................................100 5.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................102 VI. Crime and the Rule of Law................................................................................................ 104 6.1 Victimization by crime.......................................................................................................106 6.1.1 Reporting crimes...................................................................................................................... 109 6.1.2 Victimization and trust
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Religion in El Salvador
    RELIGION IN EL SALVADOR Country Summary This is the smallest of the Spanish-speaking countries in Central America, bordered by Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua in the north, east and south, respectively. El Salvador, known as Cuscatlán ("Land of the Jewel") by the indigenous peoples, is a spectacular land of volcanoes, rolling hills and lakes, with a long uninterrupted beach along the Pacific coast. The country has an area of 8,124 square miles (21,040 km 2) and a population of 5,744,113 (2007 census). El Salvador has the highest population density in Central America. The nation is divided into 14 departments, which have a total of 262 municipalities. In 2004, approximately 3.2 million Salvadorans were living outside El Salvador, with the USA traditionally being the destination of choice for Salvadorans looking for greater economic opportunities. Many Salvadorans also live in neighboring Central American countries. The majority of expatriates emigrated during the civil war of the 1980s for political reasons and later because of adverse economic and social conditions in El Salvador. The nation’s largest city and its capital is San Salvador, founded in 1545. Today, there are 1,566,629 inhabitants in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area , which is composed of the municipality of San Salvador and the surrounding urban area of 18 municipalities in the Department of San Salvador. Spanish is the nation’s official language and is spoken by virtually all inhabitants. Only a few indigenous people still speak their native tongues, but all speak Spanish as well. An estimated 90 percent of Salvadorans are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish origin) and culturally known as ladino ; nine percent are reported to be White: this population is mostly of Spanish descent but it includes others of European and North American descent (mainly French, German, Swiss and Italian); and only about one percent is Amerindian.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Bradford Ethesis
    University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. Striving for security State responses to violence under the FMLN government in El Salvador 2009-2014 Susan HOPPERT-FLÄMIG Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Social Sciences Division of Peace Studies University of Bradford 2016 Abstract Susan Hoppert-Flämig Striving for security: State responses to violence under the FMLN government in El Salvador 2009-2014 Keywords: El Salvador, security policy, ad hoc decision making, police professionalisation, prison reform, FMLN, gang violence This research focuses on the provision of intrastate security and on the question how states in the global South do or do not provide security for their citizens and do or do not protect them from physical violence. This thesis argues that while institutional conditions are an important aspect of security provision in the global South, more attention needs to be paid to policy processes. Institution building as set out in the literature about Security Sector Reform and statebuilding assumes that it is possible to provide security to all citizens of a state by building democratic state security institutions. However, this is only possible if the state is the predominant force of controlling violence. Research showed that this is rarely the case in countries of the global South. This thesis contends that statehood in the global South is contested due to power struggles between multiple state and non-state elites.
    [Show full text]
  • El Salvador 4K Wikipedia
    El salvador 4k wikipedia Continue Country in Central America This article is about a country in Central America. For other purposes, see El Salvador (disambiguation). Coordinates: 13'41'N 89'11'W / 13.683'N 89.183'W / 13.683; -89.183 Republic SalvadorRepublic de Salvador (Spanish) Flag Herb Motto: Dios, Union, Libertad (Spanish)English: God, Union, LibertyGymn: Himno Nacional de Salvador (English: National Anthem of El Salvador) Capital And largest citySan Salvador13'41'56N 89'11'29W / 13.69889-N 89.19139'W / 13.69889; -89.19139Official languagesSpanishEthnic groups 86.3% Mestizo (mixed White and Indigenous)12.7% White1.23% Indigenous0.13% Black0.64% Other[1]Religion (2017)[2]84.1% Christianity—44.9% Roman Catholic—37.1% Protestant—2.1% Other Christian15.2% No religion0.7% Other religionsDemonym(s)Salvadorian, Salvadorean, SalvadoranGovernmentUnitary presidential constitutional republic• President Nayib Bukele• Vice President Félix Ulloa LegislatureLegislative AssemblyIndependence• Declared from Spain 15 September 1821• Declared from theFederal Republicof Central America 12 June 1824• International recognition[3] 18 February 1841 Area • Total21,041 km2 (8,124 sq mi) (148th)• Water (%)1.5Population• 2018 estimate6,420,746[4][5] (109th)• Density303.1/km2 (785.0/sq mi) (47th)GDP (PPP)2018 estimate• Total$53.667 billion[6] (101st)• Per capita$8,388[6] (111th)GDP (nominal)2018 estimate• Total$25.855 billion[6] (102nd)• Per capita$4,041[6] (111th)Gini (2016) 40.6[7]mediumHDI (2018) 0.667[8]medium · 121thCurrencyUnited States dollara (USD)Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)Driving siderightCalling code+503bISO 3166 codeSVInternet TLD.sv The United States dollar is the currency in use.
    [Show full text]
  • El Salvador 1
    CULTUREGUIDE EL SALVADOR SERIES 1 PRIMARY (K–6) Photo by florianserraille2 on Pixabay EL SALVADOR CULTUREGUIDE This unit is published by the International Outreach Program of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University as part of an effort to foster open cultural exchange within the educational community and to promote increased global understanding by providing meaningful cultural education tools. Curriculum Development Nathan Hastings spent two years in El Salvador. Hastings lived in typical middle-class neighborhoods and spent most of his days with Salvadorans in their homes. He became flu- ent in Spanish and gained firsthand experience with the people’s unique culture. Hastings majored in international studies at Brigham Young University. Editorial Staff Content Review Committee Elisabeth Guyon Jeff Ringer, director CultureGuide publications coordinator Cory Leonard, assistant director International Outreach David M. Kennedy Center Editorial Assistants Victoria Blanchard, program coordinator Leticia Adams International Outreach Dan Corrigan Ana Maria Hawkins, professor of Spanish Jackie Dunlop and Portuguese Adrianne Gardner Brigham Young University Anvi Hoang Kimberly Miller Special Thanks to: Michael Strayer William Beesley, photographer: Working in Becky Thomas the Crops Julie Volmar Audrey Weight Melanie Wiser For more information on the International Outreach program at Brigham Young University, contact International Outreach, 273 Herald R. Clark Building, PO Box 24537, Provo, UT 84604- 9951, (801) 422-3040, [email protected]. © 2005 International Outreach, David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602. Material contained in this packet may be reproduced for single teacher use in the classroom as needed to present the enclosed lessons; the packet is not to be reproduced and distributed to other teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • India – El Salvador Bilateral Relations
    India – El Salvador Bilateral Relations India and El Salvador enjoy close and friendly relations. The Embassy of India in Guatemala is concurrently accredited to El Salvador, while El Salvador opened its Embassy with a resident Ambassador in New Delhi in 2008. Bilateral visits from India: September 2004: Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, MOS [EA] August, 2012: Secretary (West) and JS (LAC) to hold the first Foreign Office Consultations. June, 2013: Mrs. Krishna Tirath, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Women and Child Development (WCD) July, 2015: Gen. V.K. Singh, MOS (VKS) to attend the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in San Salvador. Bilateral visits from El Salvador: February 2004: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Eugenia Brizuela de Avila March, 2007: Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco E. Lainez. December, 2007: Vice Minister for Salvadorans Abroad, Ms. Margarita Escobar. January, 2008: Vice President Ana Vilma de Escobar to attend the CII Partnership Summit. June, 2008: Vice Foreign Minister Eduardo Calix to attend the second India- SICA Foreign Ministers’ meeting. February 2009: Vice President Ana Vilma de Escobar to attend the India-Latin America and Caribbean Conclave organized by CII in Bengaluru. March, 2011: Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo Martinez. November, 2011: Dr. Erlinda Handal Vega, Vice Minister of Science & Technology met Dr. D. Purandeswari, MOS, Human Resource Development and MOS, S&T & Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. Ashwani Kumar. December, 2014: Mr. Carlos Castaneda, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Second, India-El Salvador Foreign Office Consultations. NAM: September, 2011: Smt. Preneet Kaur, MOS [PK] met Mr Carlos Castaneda, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Integration & Economic Affairs in Belgrade on the margins of 50th anniversary commemoration of NAM.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of El Salvador Advisory Board
    THE HISTORY OF EL SALVADOR ADVISORY BOARD John T. Alexander Professor of History and Russian and European Studies, University of Kansas Robert A. Divine George W. Littlefield Professor in American History Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin John V. Lombardi Professor of History, University of Florida THE HISTORY OF EL SALVADOR Christopher M. White The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations Frank W. Thackeray and John E. Findling, Series Editors Greenwood Press Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data White, Christopher M., 1974– The history of El Salvador / Christopher M. White. p. cm. — (The Greenwood histories of the modern nations, ISSN 1096–2905) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–313–34928–7 (alk. paper) 1. El Salvador—History. I. Title. II. Series. F1486.W46 2009 972.84—dc22 2008030539 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2009 by Christopher M. White All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008030539 ISBN: 978 – 0 –313 –34928 –7 ISSN: 1096 –2905 First published in 2009 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10987654321
    [Show full text]
  • An Overview of El Salvador
    An Overview of El Salvador History The Olmecs came to the region in 2000 B.C., followed by the Maya in 1500 B.C. When the Maya civilization ended in 900 A.D., the Toltec Empire took hold in El Salvador. In the 11th century, the Pipil people became the dominant group in El Salvador until the Spanish conquerors landed. The Pipil Indians, descendants of the Aztecs, likely migrated to the region in the 11th century. In 1528, Pedro de Alvarado, a Spanish lieutenant of Cortés, took over El Salvador and forced the native people to become servants. The forced intermixing and intermarriage by Spanish men with the Native American Indigenous Lenca and Pipil women happened almost immediately after the arrival of the European Spanish. The majority of Salvadorans in El Salvador identify themselves as 87% mestizo, leaving 12% white and ~1% indigenous Salvadoran population as a minority. El Salvador, with the other countries of Central America, declared its independence from Spain on Sept. 15, 1821, and was part of a federation of Central American states until that union dissolved in 1838. For decades after its full independence in 1841, El Salvador experienced numerous revolutions and wars against other Central American republics. From 1931 to 1979 El Salvador was ruled by a series of military dictatorships. GCYL An Overview of El Salvador 1 Salvadorans who are racially European, especially Mediterranean, as well as tri-racial Pardo Salvadorans and indigenous people in El Salvador who do not speak indigenous languages nor have an indigenous culture, also identify themselves as Mestizo culturally.
    [Show full text]
  • Little Cambray Tamales
    Handouts Little Cambray Tamales CLARIBEL ALEGRíA was born in Nicaragua, but grew up in Santa Ana, El Salvador. She attended George Washington University in Washington, DC. Originally traveling through Europe with her husband and translator, Darwin “Bud” Flakoll, she became an exile when she spoke out against the Salvadoran military’s role in the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. A celebrated poet, novelist, and translator, her books include Luisa in Realityland, Ashes of Izalco, and I Survive, which won the Casa de las Américas prize for poetry. She currently lives in Managua, Nicaragua. “Tamales from Cambray” is from Alegria’s novel Ashes of Izalco. To Eduardo and Helena who asked me for a Salvadoran recipe. Two pounds of mestizo dough half a pound of Guachupin loin cooked and inely ground a little box of pious raisins two spoonfuls of Malinche milk one cup of seething water lightly fried conQuistador helmets three Jesuit onions a purse of multinational gold two dragon’s teeth a big presidential carrot two spoonfuls of informers Panchimalco Indian lard two ministerial tomatoes half a cup of television sugar two drops of volcano lava seven pito leaves (don’t be evil-minded it is sleep inducing) put it all to simmer on a low heat for Pive hundred years and you’ll see what a lavor! Translated by D.J. Flakoll. Little Cambray Tamales To Eduardo and Helena who asked me for a Salvadoran recipe. Two pounds of mestizo dough half a pound of Guachupin loin cooked and inely ground a little box of pious raisins two spoonfuls of Malinche milk one cup of seething water lightly fried conquistador helmets three Jesuit onions a purse of multinational gold two dragon’s teeth a big presidential carrot two spoonfuls of informers Panchimalco Indian lard two ministerial tomatoes half a cup of television sugar two drops of volcano lava seven pito leaves (don’t be evil-minded it is sleep inducing) put it all to simmer on a low heat for ive hundred years and you’ll see what a lavor! Translated by D.J.
    [Show full text]
  • The Resilience of Indigenous Culture in El Salvador
    University of Maryland, College Park The Resilience of Indigenous Culture in El Salvador Ashley A. Escobar LASC Capstone Thesis Dr. Britta Anderson December 6th 2018 Introduction and Personal History In the spirit of research, I recently took a 23 and Me ancestry DNA test and the results gave me much to consider about my own roots. Given the historical framework of conquest and patterns of migrations across the Americas, I expected some of these results as the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants: 52% Native American with ancestors from El Salvador, 33% European with ancestors from Spain, 7% Sub Saharan African with Senegambian, Guinean, and Congolese ancestry, and 6% of my heritage being broadly traced to various, far-flung regions of the globe. The prominence of indigenous ancestry that was picked up in my DNA was evidence to me of the resilience of indigenous ancestors who were silenced through years of hegemonic rule—and that we are still here. The indigenous people of El Salvador are still alive despite the notion that we have long been wiped out; either by force or by choice we have instead taken on cultural attitudes that have masked our roots in order to survive violent oppression. History is typically written by the victors and silences the voices of those they vanquish, which is reflected in the lack of documentation and archival records of indigenous groups in El Salvador, as well as the sheer difficulty of obtaining many officiated documents. Despite this, there are subtle ways indigenous culture has been kept alive in popular Salvadoran culture: our traditional foods, our vernacular, and celebrations all weave together vestiges of a culture that could not be vanquished.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Rights in El Salvador by Tait Robinson
    R EVIEW D IGEST: H UMAN R IGHTS IN L ATIN A MERICA Human Rights in El Salvador by Tait Robinson Between 1979 and 1991 El Salvador was embroiled in a civil war that claimed over 70,000 lives. Longstanding socio-economic inequality between the rich and poor led to government-backed human rights abuses dispensed by the military. These ranged from denials of freedom and civil liberties to village massacres. Left-wing rebels, most prominently the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), were the lone source of resistance against the government and military death squads. The assassination of leading human rights campaigner Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980 precipitated a decade of increased political violence, social turmoil and human rights violations. The U.S. effort to ameliorate El Salvador’s internal strife instead exacerbated the problems. Providing the Salvadoran government with financial and non-personnel military resources only fueled further violence between military and guerrilla forces. U.N. intervention in 1990 resulted in the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), which facilitated formal peace accords in 1992 and observed democratic elections two years later. The rest of the 1990s were characterized by successful political and social rebuilding, and today El Salvador is a relatively prosperous democratic success story among developing countries. General Resources Robert Armstrong and Janet Shenk. 1982. El Salvador, the Face of Revolution. Boston: South End Press. This book provides a historical overview of El Salvador and its people. It examines the El Salvadoran political climate within the broader context of that of Central America. Examines the internal and external political struggles and military conflicts during the period 1979-1992, and associated violence (guerrilla warfare, massacres, etc.) and human rights violations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador, 2004 Perceptions and Realities of the Salvadoran Population
    The Political Culture of Democracy in El Salvador, 2004 Perceptions and Realities of the Salvadoran Population Ricardo Córdova Macías, FUNDAUNGO José Miguel Cruz, IUDOP-UCA Mitchell A. Seligson Scientific Coordinator and Editor of the Series Vanderbilt University This publication was made possible through support provided by the USAID Missions in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Support was also provided by the Office of Regional Sustainable Development, Democracy and Human Rights Division, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Office of Democracy and Governance, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development, under the terms of Task Order Contract No. AEP-I-12-99-00041-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Political Culture of Democracy in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, 2004: El Salvador i Table of Content Table of Content............................................................................................................................. i List of Tables and Graphs.............................................................................................................v List of Tables............................................................................................................................................v Executive Summary....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Development: the Experience of El Salvador Richard A
    Boston College Economics Department ECON2 275 - Economic Development: The Experience of El Salvador Richard A. McGowan, S.J. Course Description: The goal of this course is to provide students the opportunity to explore the phenomenon of economic development in a very specific context, El Salvador. In the first two sessions of the course, you will learn about the historical, social and economic context of El Salvador as well as the special problems that El Salvador faces with special emphasis on the role of remittances and microfinance. After we visit El Salvador the course will focus on the questions of Economic Development and how to apply that theory to the various situations that you witness while in El Salvador. Your task will be to develop an appropriate industrial policy for El Salvador. Assignments and Readings Session 1 (January 19th ): History and Culture of El Salvador Readings: Selections from “Culture and Customs of El Salvador” by Bolan Historical context of El Salvador The Civil War Reading: “Insurrection and Regime Change in El Salvador” Film: Innocence Voices Session 2 (Feb. 23rd) Microfinance Readings: “Small Loans and Big Ambitions” Economist, 3/16/07 Selections from the Economics of Microfinance, by de Aghion and Morduch Remittances “Remittance Senders and Receivers”, “The Determinants of Remittances in Latin America and the Caribbean” “What do Remittances Do? Analyzing the Private Remittance Transmission Mechanism in El Salvador” Remittances “Mitigating the Structural Imperfections and Negative Impacts of Remittances” “Determinants of Bilateral Remittance Flows” Visiting El Salvador (March 2nd to March 9th ) We will spend the spring break visiting El Salvador.
    [Show full text]