According to a survey conducted by the social innovation lab Arantzazulab, together with the UPV/EHU, Mondragon Unibertsitatea and the University of Deusto, almost 90% of the population prefer democracy to any other regime, but the rating deteriorates when asked about the operation of it.
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Two out of three inhabitants of the BAC think that citizens can hardly influence the political system and that political leaders don’t care what people think. These are some of the conclusions of the study “Concepts of Democracy in the Basque Country” carried out by the Social Innovation Laboratory arantzazulabtogether with the UPV/EHU, Mondragon Unibertsitatea and the University of Deusto.
The general director of the laboratory, Naiara Goia, today presented at a press conference, accompanied by representatives of the three universities, the first results of this research project, “still in progress”. As he explained, in this context of the “crisis” of democracy and the “detachment” of citizens in the West, the research project wanted to find out how democracy is understood in the Basque Country and what the citizens’ views are on this system. “The results are striking and significant and give us the opportunity to get to know our society better,” he stressed.
The survey was conducted by telephone (from February 22 to March 24) among 2,173 residents of the BAC (1,022 in Bizkaia, 661 in Gipuzkoa and 490 in Álava). The respondents had to answer a questionnaire with closed answers.
The survey shows that the vast majority of citizens (nearly 90%) prefer democracy to other regimes, although when asked about the functioning of democracy in the Basque country, the assessment declines, 60% say they are “very or fairly satisfied” to feel. . However, upon closer inspection, the population is more critical. For example, 64.1% believe that the political system allows individual citizens “very little” or “nothing” to influence politics. In the same proportion, they believe that politicians and policymakers care little or not at all about what the public thinks.
Similarly, half of those surveyed associate the word democracy with “commitment”, although the term evokes “indifference, mistrust and irritation” in more than a third.
When asked about the participation models, almost 60% say that the most democratic participation model is to choose to vote to political representatives. However, 34.4% prefer other forms of organization, such as self-organization, the citizens’ lottery or the people’s assembly.
One last interesting fact. 75% of the population give preference to that the governments have values and principles for their effectiveness.
Source: EITB
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
