Resumen

HELLINGER, Daniel. How do People Understand Protagonistic Democracy? The Results of a Survey. Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.1, pp.153-181. ISSN 20030507.

Survey research conducted in summer 2006 in barrios and urbanizaciones known for relatively high levels of popular organization finds that Venezuelans value both norms associated with pluralist democracy and participatory democracy. Barrio residents valued social inclusion more often than residents from middle class areas, and residents of middle class areas valued media freedom more highly, as hypothesized.  However, the differences were not as great as expected. Both groups showed a high degree of tolerance for allowing political opponents to speak and participate in public meetings. These findings, somewhat surprising given the highly polarized political situation, are positive for either conception of democracy. Residents of the barrios, where support for President Chavez was, as expected, heavily concentrated, did show great enthusiasm for more radical worker democracy schemes, which may have contributed to the defeat of the constitutional reform proposals a year later.

Palabras clave : Democracy; Representative Democracy; Participative Democracy; Survey; Venezuela.