Ideology and Presidential Support (Ideología Y Apoyo Presidencial)
Comunicación y Ciudadanía No. 1, 2009, Universidada Externado de Colombia
Posted: 17 Nov 2009
Date Written: November 17, 2009
Abstract
In recent years, a majority of Latin Americans elected left-leaning governments while Colombian citizens continue to elect rightist leaders. Utilizing household survey data from 2006, this paper is a first step in understanding why Colombians have held their rightist stance. First, I quantitatively test various hypotheses surrounding Colombians’ conservative ideology to decipher which factors influence Colombian ideology. Next, I use ideology as an explanatory variable along with media effects, group association, demographics, and issue salience to understand what factors influence support for President Alvaro Uribe. The data illustrate that the tendency to lean to the right is explained by lower education, trust in the national government, and religious affiliation. While ideology is not influenced by attention to media, the type of media one utilizes plays a prominent role in presidential support. Those who are concerned about corruption, watch international news and frequently read the newspaper are less likely to support President Uribe.
Note: Downloadable document is in Spanish.
Keywords: Colombia, presidential election 2006, ideology, presidential support, public opinion
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation