Trust, support for democracy and corruption: public perceptions of the Colombian Constitutional Court
No. 4 (2020-01-01)Author(s)
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Sandra BoteroUniversidad del Rosario, Colombia
Abstract
Though Latin American high courts have increasingly gained saliency as political actors in recent decades, few scholars have explored the relationship between these tribunals and public opinion. This article represents a contribution to that effort by focusing on the case of the Colombian Constitutional Court. What factors help explain individual’s trust in the constitutional tribunal? The analysis is based on ten public opinion surveys (nationally representative samples) taken between 2005-2018 in Colombia. I show that support for democracy and trust in the court are positively related. Those who perceive corruption as more widespread tend to be more distrustful of the court. Additionally, the analysis suggests that this negative effect becomes noteworthy in recent years.
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