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The Political Culture of Democracy in Haiti and in the Americas, 2012

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The Political Culture of Democracy in Haiti and in the Americas, 2012 The Political Culture of Democracy in Haiti and in the Americas, 2012: Towards Equality of Opportunity By: Amy Erica Smith Iowa State University François Gélineau Université Laval Mitchell A. Seligson, Ph.D. Scientific Coordinator and Editor of the Series Vanderbilt University This study was performed with support from the Program in Democracy and Governance of the United States Agency for International Development. The opinions expressed in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the point of view of the United States Agency for International Development. December 2012 Table of Contents, Tables and Figures Table of Contents Tables .................................................................................................................................................. vii Figures .................................................................................................................................................. vii Preface ................................................................................................................................................. xiii Prologue: Background to the Study .................................................................................................... xv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................. xxv Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... xxix Understanding Figures in this Study ............................................................................................. xxxiv Special Note on the Haitian Post-Earthquake Samples ................................................................ xxxv Part I: Equality of Opportunity and Democracy in the Americas .................................................... 1 Chapter One: Equality of Economic and Social Opportunities in the Americas ............................. 3 I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3 II. Background: Equality of Economic and Social Opportunities in the Americas ............. 5 III. Equalities in Economic and Social Opportunities in Haiti: A View from the AmericasBarometer ........................................................................................................... 11 Who Reports Discrimination? ............................................................................... 24 Public Opinion on Racial and Gender Inequality .................................................. 26 IV. Public Opinion towards Common Policy Proposals ................................................... 31 Conditional Cash Transfer and Public Assistance Programs ................................ 32 V. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 36 Special Report Box 1: Educational Achievement and Skin Color .................................... 37 Special Report Box 2: Economic Crisis, Skin Color, and Household Wealth .................. 38 Special Report Box 3: Support for Interethnic Marriage ................................................... 39 Chapter Two: Equality of Political Participation in the Americas .................................................. 41 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 41 II. Participation in the Americas in 2012 ........................................................................... 44 Turnout .................................................................................................................. 44 Beyond Turnout ..................................................................................................... 46 III. Public Opinion on Opportunities and Discriminatory Attitudes ................................. 55 Public Opinion towards Women’s Leadership ...................................................... 56 Public Opinion towards the Leadership of Marginalized Racial/Ethnic Groups .. 58 Public Opinion towards the Participation of Homosexuals ................................... 59 Public Opinion towards the Participation of the Disabled ..................................... 61 IV. Public Opinion towards Common Policy Proposals ................................................... 62 iii Political Culture of Democracy in Haiti, 2012 Gender Quotas ....................................................................................................... 63 Compulsory Voting ............................................................................................... 64 Reduction in Economic and Social Inequality ....................................................... 65 V. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 65 Special Report Box 4: Political Participation and Gender ................................................. 67 Special Report Box 5: Gender Quotas and Women’s Political Participation .................... 68 Special Report Box 6: Compulsory Voting and Inequalities in Political Participation ..... 69 Chapter Three: The Effect of Unequal Opportunities and Discrimination on Political Legitimacy and Engagement .................................................................................................. 71 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 71 II. Inequality, Efficacy, and Perceptions of Representation .............................................. 74 III. System Support and Engagement with Democracy ..................................................... 82 IV. Protest Participation ..................................................................................................... 88 V. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 92 Special Report Box 7: Political Knowledge and the Urban-Rural Divide ........................ 93 Special Report Box 8: Discrimination and System Support .............................................. 94 Special Report Box 9: Support for Democracy and Electoral Information ....................... 95 Part II: Governance, Political Engagement and Civil Society in the Americas............................. 97 Chapter Four: Corruption, Crime, Democracy, and Human Rights .............................................. 99 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 99 II. Corruption ................................................................................................................... 101 Perception of Corruption ..................................................................................... 103 Corruption Victimization ..................................................................................... 105 Who is Likely to be a Victim of Corruption? ...................................................... 110 III. Perceptions of Insecurity and Crime Victimization................................................... 111 IV. Crime Victimization .................................................................................................. 114 Who is Likely to be a Victim of Crime? .............................................................. 118 V. Trust in and Support for the Police ............................................................................. 119 VI. Support for Efforts to Prevent Child Servitude as Restaveks .................................... 125 VII. The Impact of Crime, Insecurity and Corruption on Support for the Political System........................................................................................................................ 127 VIII. Support for the Rule of Law and the Impact of Crime and Insecurity ................... 129 IX. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 133 Chapter Five: Political Legitimacy and Tolerance .......................................................................... 135 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 135 iv Table of Contents, Tables and Figures II. Support for the Political System ................................................................................. 138 III. Political Tolerance ..................................................................................................... 141 IV. Democratic Stability .................................................................................................. 146 V. Legitimacy of Other Democratic Institutions ............................................................. 150 VI. Support for Democracy ............................................................................................. 152 VII. Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 154 Chapter Six: Local Government ....................................................................................................... 157 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................
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