Distrusting democrats in Latin America: Meanings, measures, and tests in Chile and Argentina

By focusing on support for democracy and trust in political institutions, this dissertation makes important contributions to the study of democracy. It develops more refined conceptualizations and measures of both concepts. Using high-quality data demonstrate when and if support for democracy and distrust in political parties can be expected to generate accountability-seeking actions. Connecting these democratic beliefs and attitudes to political actions is crucial to understanding the linkages between mass beliefs and democracy in Latin America.