EBP2: How solid is mass support and how can we measure it?

While universally hailed as the best form of Government, just how popular is democracy throughout the world, and how is this measured? Mass support for democracy is measured through a variety of different surveys conducted in various countries across the globe, with the prominent ones being the European Values Survey and the World Value Survey. However some countries simply refuse to allow these surveys to take place, which in all fairness is a clear indicator that this country would rather not associate itself with democratic values, such as free speech. The need for these surveys has risen, following the dissolution of both the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, with many new countries springing up

One such survey conducted in 1999-2001 showed that the majority of people across the world found that their governments were strongly democratic. However the lowest country ranked was Russia, who when polled had yet to elect Vladimir Putin as the president, but had only just come out of a communist state. These values however may not be equal to one another, with a quick observation revealing that while the United States and France both have 89% of people viewing democracy as the best way to govern, meaning that 1 in 10 people in both the United States and France wish for a more authoritative government. These two nations may be regarded as bastions of democracy, they also polled the same as Zimbabwe, a country that was until recently, ruled by Robert Mugabe who installed a 50 year dictatorship that ruined the economy and caused widespread famine. However despite the majority of people advocating that they would like a more democratic government, there was almost no opposition to Mugabe. A lack of opposition could be attributed to fear of retribution, or just an unwillingness to go against the system.

The article states that following the Second World War, the onset of democracy brought both Japan and Germany newfound economic growth, bringing them out of their postwar ruins. As a result Democratic governments are often regarded as being ones that can provide solid economic stability. Yet, in the former soviet states, the advent of democracy simply brought about a new time of hardship, and economic uncertainty. In fact as the same survey discovers with a different question regarding more authoritarian governments, the majority of people in former soviet states, or satellites were desiring a leader who did not bow to elections or parliaments. So while the European Union may see democracy as the bringer of growth and economic power, the Balkans, Baltic and Russian states all view this with disregard. The same situation faced by the German people at the end of the First World War eventually led to the rise of Nazism, through it's rapid economic growth. Perhaps the people are simply not interested in who leads them, or how as long as they can reap the economic benefits in the long run. Vietnam is another clear case in this, despite 95% of people thinking democracy is the best way to rule the country, 99% of Vietnamese insist that they desire a strong leader, who doesn't need electing. While a far cry from true democracy, the people are still happy with the government, so who is to question that?

Overall this article measures mass support for democracies through multiple tables, using the previously discussed sources, but fails to clearly establish just what exactly each country decided was democratic, as each nation clearly has their own views, as seen with Vietnam.