Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy
<span class="abs_content">The social and political implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are receiving increasing attention in the literature. This article aims to contribute to this fast-growing research programme by focusing on the degree to which Italian citizens perceive democrat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Coordinamento SIBA
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Partecipazione e Conflitto |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/paco/article/view/24021 |
| _version_ | 1827813435985887232 |
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| author | Marco Maraffi Simona Guglielmi Ferruccio Biolcati Antonio M. Chiesi Giulia M. Dotti Sani Riccardo Ladini Francesco Molteni Paolo Segatti Cristiano Vezzoni Andrea Pedrazzani |
| author_facet | Marco Maraffi Simona Guglielmi Ferruccio Biolcati Antonio M. Chiesi Giulia M. Dotti Sani Riccardo Ladini Francesco Molteni Paolo Segatti Cristiano Vezzoni Andrea Pedrazzani |
| author_sort | Marco Maraffi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <span class="abs_content">The social and political implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are receiving increasing attention in the literature. This article aims to contribute to this fast-growing research programme by focusing on the degree to which Italian citizens perceive democratic institutions as effective in coping with crises like the COVID-19 emergency. We put forward a set of hypotheses whereby negative evaluations of the effectiveness of democracy can be associated with social proximity to the disease and with perceived health and economic threats. We also argued that political factors can interact with such threats. Moreover, we hypothesised that certain factors dealing with the concepts of social capital and civic culture can help inhibit negative opinions about the effectiveness of democracy. To test these hypotheses, we analysed public opinion data collected in Italy between April and July 2020 using a Rolling Cross-Section survey design. The data showed that evaluations of democracy became more negative with social proximity to the disease and with individual perceived vulnerability, understood in health and economic terms. Our findings also highlighted that certain social factors which "underpin" democracy moderated negative evaluations. Finally, political factors like ideology and government appraisal shaped the relationship between individual threats and evaluations of democracy.</span><br /> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:31:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a4e56fb7e0f84ae6a81d22d6666df4e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1972-7623 2035-6609 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:31:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Coordinamento SIBA |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Partecipazione e Conflitto |
| spelling | doaj.art-a4e56fb7e0f84ae6a81d22d6666df4e72023-09-20T07:59:57ZengCoordinamento SIBAPartecipazione e Conflitto1972-76232035-66092021-06-0114117620110.1285/i20356609v14i1p17621053Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in ItalyMarco Maraffi0Simona Guglielmi1Ferruccio Biolcati2Antonio M. Chiesi3Giulia M. Dotti Sani4Riccardo Ladini5Francesco Molteni6Paolo Segatti7Cristiano VezzoniAndrea Pedrazzani8University of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of Milan<span class="abs_content">The social and political implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are receiving increasing attention in the literature. This article aims to contribute to this fast-growing research programme by focusing on the degree to which Italian citizens perceive democratic institutions as effective in coping with crises like the COVID-19 emergency. We put forward a set of hypotheses whereby negative evaluations of the effectiveness of democracy can be associated with social proximity to the disease and with perceived health and economic threats. We also argued that political factors can interact with such threats. Moreover, we hypothesised that certain factors dealing with the concepts of social capital and civic culture can help inhibit negative opinions about the effectiveness of democracy. To test these hypotheses, we analysed public opinion data collected in Italy between April and July 2020 using a Rolling Cross-Section survey design. The data showed that evaluations of democracy became more negative with social proximity to the disease and with individual perceived vulnerability, understood in health and economic terms. Our findings also highlighted that certain social factors which "underpin" democracy moderated negative evaluations. Finally, political factors like ideology and government appraisal shaped the relationship between individual threats and evaluations of democracy.</span><br />http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/paco/article/view/24021covid-19democracyeconomic insecurityhealth threatrolling cross-section |
| spellingShingle | Marco Maraffi Simona Guglielmi Ferruccio Biolcati Antonio M. Chiesi Giulia M. Dotti Sani Riccardo Ladini Francesco Molteni Paolo Segatti Cristiano Vezzoni Andrea Pedrazzani Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy Partecipazione e Conflitto covid-19 democracy economic insecurity health threat rolling cross-section |
| title | Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy |
| title_full | Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy |
| title_short | Is Democracy Effective against Coronavirus? An Analysis of Citizens' Opinions in Italy |
| title_sort | is democracy effective against coronavirus an analysis of citizens opinions in italy |
| topic | covid-19 democracy economic insecurity health threat rolling cross-section |
| url | http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/paco/article/view/24021 |
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