Ideology and Political Cynicism: Effects of Authoritarianism and Social Dominance on Perceptions about the Political System in 11 Ibero-American Countries

Abstract

This study investigates; (1) how Political Cynicism is structured and, (2) how this structure relates to Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) in 11 Ibero-American countries (N=2388). The results show that the structure of Political Cynicism is composed of four dimensions: (1) Mistrust, (2) Perception of Corruption, (3) Need for Change and, (4) Political Moral Laxity. Furthermore, the study reveals that there is no homogeneous model of relations between the dimensions of Political Cynicism with RWA and SDO by country. However, at a general level it is noted that Mistrust acts as a diffuse indicator of dissatisfaction with the political system that increases Political Moral Laxity, while the Perception of Corruption, functions as a specific indicator of dissatisfaction that is directly associated with the Need for Change and, inversely, to Moral Laxity. Both RWA and SDO increase the negative manifestations of Political Cynicism, but the most interesting result is the stability of the observed relationship between SDO and Moral Laxity in 10 of the 11 countries considered in the study. The results are discussed in terms of the costs that Political Cynicism represents for the consolidation of Democracy, especially in its manifestation of moral laxity.