The Effect of Elections on Public Opinion towards Democracy: Evidence from Longitudinal Survey Research in Algeria

Abstract

Given the importance of developing a democratic culture for the long-term survival of democracy, it is crucial to understand how support for democracy changes over time in response to different events.  Although democratic transitions vary greatly by case, one common element to each transition, and often the first major event signaling a transition, is the holding of a reasonably free and fair election.  Yet, while there is a significant literature on the effect of elections on public opinion in developed democracies, this topic has received far less attention in transitioning and authoritarian countries.  This paper addresses this hole in the literature by examining the effects of the first relatively free and fair election in a country’s history on support for democracy among ordinary citizens. It finds that groups that are excluded from participation in the election and individuals who believe that an election was not free and fair also lose support for democracy.