How Personal Exposure to Military Activities Affects Democratic Attitudes?

• In Event: New Approaches to Attitudes toward Democracy and Its Institutions

Abstract

How do different levels of exposure to domestic military activities affect public attitudes toward democracy in heavily militarized contexts? Recent research on militarization and public opinion suggests that, on the one hand, citizens in contexts affected by insecurity demand 'mano dura' (tough-on-crime) solutions to security problems. However, on the other hand, evidence demonstrates that direct and indirect exposure to images of the military decrease citizens' trust in state security institutions, and that attitudes may be conditioned by the type of activities in which military personnel participate. This project examines how individuals' exposure to domestic military activities influences their support for and satisfaction with democracy. I propose a two-dimensional framework, in which the "level" of exposure to military activities and the valence of that exposure influence citizens' support for and satisfaction with democracy at the national level. In short, my theory posits that, as exposure to local military activities becomes more personally proximate and more negative, citizens' attitudes toward democracy decrease, while distant and positive exposure positively affects citizen attitudes. To test these expectations, I constructed an original database of instances of militarization in Mexico since 2010 and analyzed data from an original online survey (N=10,000) in Mexico. My findings suggest that the level of personal proximity to military activities, as well as the valence of those personal experiences, affects citizens' support for and satisfaction with democratic governance. This project has implications for research on institutional trust and democratic backsliding, particularly in contexts where the military plays a large domestic role, as well as for policy focused on reforming security institutions where crime and insecurity are salient.

Author

• Margaret Frost, University of Rhode Island