The Injustice of Inequality Undermines Satisfaction with Democracy: Evidence from the Global South
About this Session
Time
Fri. 17.04. 13:05
Room
Plenary Hall
Speaker
Authors: García-Castro, Juan Diego (University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica); Montoya-Lozano, Mar (University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica).
Democracy is a cornerstone of coexistence and social cohesion in modern societies. In this study, we contribute to the debate on the role of economic inequality in undermining trust in democracy, emphasizing the importance of perceived injustice related to inequality and the relevance of subjective evaluations in social processes surrounding economic inequity. To this end, we conducted three studies in Costa Rica (Central America), all of which controlled for participants’ sex, age, and political ideology. In the first correlational study, using a representative sample of 1,000 individuals from the general population provided by the 2024 Latinobarómetro, we found that higher evaluation of distributive injustice was associated with lower satisfaction with democracy (β = .26, p < .001). To examine the causal nature of this relationship, we conducted an experimental manipulation that presented two hypothetical newspaper scenarios depicting the unequal economic stories of two individuals. In the distributive injustice condition, the scenario portrayed the economic differences between the two individuals as fair and legitimate. In contrast, in the distributive justice condition, the economic differences were described as unfair and illegitimate, highlighting structural barriers. We carried out two preregistered experiments with university students. In both, the manipulation check used the Latinobarómetro item on perceived injustice employed in the correlational study. In both cases, the manipulation successfully increased injustice evaluations: participants in the experimental condition judged economic inequality as more unjust (Exp 1: t(263.31) = 5.04, p < .001, Munj = 3.70, Mjus = 2.91; Exp 2: t(283.23) = 7.05, p < .001, Munj = 3.87, Mjus = 2.84). The first experimental study, which included a sample of 266 participants, revealed that those in the injustice condition reported lower satisfaction with democracy compared to the control group (t(263.87) = 2.43, p = .02, Mjus = 4.23, Minj = 3.84). The second experiment, with a sample of 287 participants, replicated this result (t(284.54) = 2.81, p < .01, Mjus = 4.15, Minj = 3.71). We discuss how economic inequality and subjective evaluations of its injustice represent a threat to democratic coexistence and social cohesion. Furthermore, we argue for the validity of the experimental manipulation of distributive injustice developed for this study and highlight the importance of expanding research in the Global South, a region that is underrepresented in scientific literature.
Democracy is a cornerstone of coexistence and social cohesion in modern societies. In this study, we contribute to the debate on the role of economic inequality in undermining trust in democracy, emphasizing the importance of perceived injustice related to inequality and the relevance of subjective evaluations in social processes surrounding economic inequity. To this end, we conducted three studies in Costa Rica (Central America), all of which controlled for participants’ sex, age, and political ideology. In the first correlational study, using a representative sample of 1,000 individuals from the general population provided by the 2024 Latinobarómetro, we found that higher evaluation of distributive injustice was associated with lower satisfaction with democracy (β = .26, p < .001). To examine the causal nature of this relationship, we conducted an experimental manipulation that presented two hypothetical newspaper scenarios depicting the unequal economic stories of two individuals. In the distributive injustice condition, the scenario portrayed the economic differences between the two individuals as fair and legitimate. In contrast, in the distributive justice condition, the economic differences were described as unfair and illegitimate, highlighting structural barriers. We carried out two preregistered experiments with university students. In both, the manipulation check used the Latinobarómetro item on perceived injustice employed in the correlational study. In both cases, the manipulation successfully increased injustice evaluations: participants in the experimental condition judged economic inequality as more unjust (Exp 1: t(263.31) = 5.04, p < .001, Munj = 3.70, Mjus = 2.91; Exp 2: t(283.23) = 7.05, p < .001, Munj = 3.87, Mjus = 2.84). The first experimental study, which included a sample of 266 participants, revealed that those in the injustice condition reported lower satisfaction with democracy compared to the control group (t(263.87) = 2.43, p = .02, Mjus = 4.23, Minj = 3.84). The second experiment, with a sample of 287 participants, replicated this result (t(284.54) = 2.81, p < .01, Mjus = 4.15, Minj = 3.71). We discuss how economic inequality and subjective evaluations of its injustice represent a threat to democratic coexistence and social cohesion. Furthermore, we argue for the validity of the experimental manipulation of distributive injustice developed for this study and highlight the importance of expanding research in the Global South, a region that is underrepresented in scientific literature.