Author: Marta Lagos | Journal of Democracy

Marta Lagos is the founding director of Latinobarómetro Corporation.

April 2020, Volume 31, Issue 2

A Lost Decade for Third-Wave Democracies?

Ordinary citizens in East Asia, Latin America, and Africa are increasingly disappointed with democracy and its ability to deliver.

April 2008, Volume 19, Issue 2

Public Opinion and Democratic Legitimacy

Do young democracies have to "deliver the goods" economically in order to win political legitimacy in their citizens' eyes? Public opinion data from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Arab world suggest some fascinating answers.

January 2008, Volume 19, Issue 1

The Democracy Barometers (Part II): Latin America’s Diversity of Views

Marta Lagos

Attitudes toward democracy in Latin America vary from country to country, and within countries between left and right. Public opinion is strongly affected by the success or failure of political leaders in delivering social and economic change.

April 2003, Volume 14, Issue 2

Latin America’s Lost Illusions: A Road with No Return?

Marta Lagos

What can public-opinion research tell us about the staying power of democracy in the region? Has it passed the point of any possible return to authoritarianism?

January 2001, Volume 12, Issue 1

How People View Democracy: Between Stability and Crisis in Latin America

Marta Lagos

Across Latin America, public support for democracy has been remarkably stable and consistently higher than satisfaction with the way that democracy works. Low institutional trust reflects even lower levels of interpersonal trust.

July 1997, Volume 8, Issue 3

Public Opinion in New Democracies: Latin America’s Smiling Mask

Marta Lagos

Read the full essay here.

How People View Democracy

No serious student of democracy can afford to be without this book. It offers an original and comprehensive view of what citizens around the world think as democracy's global "third wave" prepares to enter its fourth and perhaps most challenging decade.