Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey: 84% are satisfied with the way democracy works; 59% always prefer democracy to any other kind of government

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1 04 October 2018, page 1 of 7 52 Malingap St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City Website: Tel: , Fax: Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey: 84% are satisfied with the way democracy works; 59% always prefer democracy to any other kind of government Satisfaction with the way democracy works is highest among committed democrats Social Weather Stations The Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, done on September 15-23, 2018, found 84% of adult Filipinos satisfied with the way democracy works in the country [Chart 1, Table 1]. This is 6 points above the 78% in March 2018, but below the record-high 86% in September Satisfaction with the way democracy works has ranged from 59% to 86% since June 2010 [Chart 2, Table 2]. The question on "satisfaction in the way democracy works" originated from the Eurobarometer surveys, and is also in standard use in Latin American and Asian barometer projects. The September 2018 survey also found 59% saying "democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government," compared to 20% saying "under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one" and 19% saying "for people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime." The 59% may be called committed democrats, the 20% conditional authoritarians, and the 19% indifferent. Peaks during 1992, 1998, 2010, 2013, and 2016 national elections Satisfaction with the way democracy works had peaks of 70% in September 1992, 70% in July 1998, 68% in June 2010, and the record-high 86% in September 2016, related to the successful presidential elections of 1992, 1998, 2010 and 2016, respectively. The previous record of 80% in June 2013 was achieved after the May 2013 senatorial elections. In contrast, satisfaction with the way democracy works was a disappointing 44% in June 2004, after the presidential election of that year.

2 04 October 2018, page 2 of 7 59% say democracy is always preferable to any other form of government The proportion of adult Filipinos saying "democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government" hardly moved from 60% in March 2018 to 59% in September Except for July 2014 when it was 47%, preference for democracy has been above 50% since February 2009, reaching a record-high 65% in June 2013 [Table 2]. Before the 20% recorded in the September 2018 survey, the proportion of those saying "under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one" had been at 19% from September 2016 to March It has been 20% or below for six consecutive quarters since December The proportion of those saying "for people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime" barely changed from 21% in March 2018 to 19% in September It has been 20% and above in 7 out of 9 surveys since September Satisfaction with how democracy works is highest among committed democrats Due to the 6-point increase in satisfaction with the way democracy works and steady figures regarding preference for democracy, the September 2018 survey found increases in satisfaction with democracy among committed democrats, conditional authoritarians, and those who were indifferent. Satisfaction was highest among committed democrats at 88%. This is a 6-point increase compared to the 83% in March 2018 [Chart 2]. It found that satisfaction increased by 5 points among conditional authoritarians, from 75% in March 2018 to 80% in September It also found that satisfaction was lowest among those who were indifferent at 74%. Still, this is a 6-point increase compared to the 68% in March Euro and LatAm comparisons In the March 2018 Eurobarometer survey (accessed here) of 28 European Union Member States, an average of 56% of Europeans are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country [Chart 3, Table 3]. It has been 50% and above since mid-2014, similar to 2006 to early 2012 when it ranged from 50% to 58%. It ranged from 40% to 49% in , and from 46% to 49% in late 2012 and 2013.

3 04 October 2018, page 3 of 7 In the August 2017 Latinobarómetro survey (accessed here) of 18 Latin American countries, an average 36% of Latin Americans are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country. It has been below 40% since 2011, after the record-high 44% in 2009 and It ranged from 25% to 41% from 1996 to Survey Background The September 2018 Social Weather Survey was conducted from September 15-23, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 600 in Balance Luzon, and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao). The area estimates were weighted by Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2018 to obtain the national estimates. The Social Weather Surveys on satisfaction with democracy, and preference for democracy, are not commissioned. They are done on SWS's own initiative and released as a public service. The survey question on satisfaction with democracy is as follows: "Sa pangkalahatan, kayo po ba ay... (LUBOS NA NASISIYAHAN; MEDYO NASISIYAHAN; HINDI NASISIYAHAN; LUBOS NA HINDI NASISIYAHAN) sa takbo ng demokrasya sa Pilipinas?" ["On the whole, are you... (Very satisfied; Fairly satisfied; Not very satisfied; Not at all satisfied) with the way democracy works in the Philippines?"]. On preference for democracy: "Alin sa mga sumusunod na pangungusap ang pinakamalapit sa inyong opinyon? (ANG DEMOKRASYA AY PALAGING MAS KANAIS-NAIS KAYSA SA IBANG KLASE NG PAMAHALAAN; SA MGA ILANG SITUWASYON, ANG PAMAHALAANG DIKTATURYA AY MAS KANAIS-NAIS KAYSA SA ISANG DEMOKRATIKO; PARA SA MGA TAONG KATULAD KO, WALANG KABULUHAN SA AKIN KUNG ANG ATING PAMAHALAAN AY DEMOKRATIKO O HINDI DEMOKRATIKO)." ["Which of the following statements comes closest to your own opinion? (Democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government; Under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a

4 04 October 2018, page 4 of 7 democratic one; For people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a nondemocratic regime)"]. SWS employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data-processing, and analysis, and does not outsource any of its survey operations. This report was prepared by Antonia Beatrice D. Lee, with special tabulations by Joanne C. Evangelista. # Chart 1 SATISFACTION WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS AND PREFERENCE FOR DEMOCRACY, NOV 1991 TO SEP 2018 C. AQUINO RAMOS ESTRADA ARROYO B. AQUINO DUTERTE 70 84% satisfied with how democracy works % of adults Q. On the whole, are you... (VERY SATISFIED, FAIRLY SATISFIED, NOT VERY SATISFIED, NOT AT ALL SATISFIED) with the way democracy works in the Philippines? Q. Which of the following statements comes closest to your own opinion? (SHOWCARD) [Democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government; Under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one; For people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime]

5 % of adults 3 rd Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey 04 October 2018, page 5 of 7 Table 1 % SATISFIED WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS C. AQUINO Nov 91 45% Feb RAMOS Sep Dec Apr Dec Nov Jun Dec Apr Jun Sep Apr Jun Dec ESTRADA Jul ESTRADA (cont.) ARROYO (cont.) Sep 98 69% Sep 03 29% Nov Nov Jun Mar Oct Jun Dec Dec Mar Aug Jul Dec Sep Dec 05 (AB) 37 ARROYO Sep Sep Feb Nov Mar Mar 02 (EAB) 52 Apr Mar Sep May Jun Sep Feb Nov Jun Mar Mar 10 (AB) 47 Jun Jun B. AQUINO Sep 10 69% Mar Mar Mar Jun Sep Jun 14 (AB) 59 Jun Dec Jun DUTERTE Sep Jun Mar Sep Sources of Survey Data: Social Weather Stations Surveys ( ); EAB = East Asia Barometer 2002 Survey; AB = Asia Barometer 2005, 2010, and 2014 Survey. Chart 1 SATISFACTION WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS AND PREFERENCE FOR DEMOCRACY, MAR 2002 TO SEP 2018 ARROYO B. AQUINO DUTERTE % always prefer Democracy ( Committed democrats ) % sometimes prefer Authoritarianism ( Conditional authoritarians ) Not shown: For people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime ( Indifferent ) Q. Which of the following statements comes closest to your own opinion? (SHOWCARD) [Democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government; Under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one; For people like me, it does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime]

6 04 October 2018, page 6 of 7 Table 2 DEMOCRATIC VS AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT* It does I sometimes not I always prefer matter prefer Authori- for a person Democracy tarianism like me Mar 02 (EAB) 64% 18% 18% Jun Nov Mar Jun Dec Aug Dec Dec 05 (AB) Sep Feb Mar Apr Jun Jun Feb It does I sometimes not I always prefer matter prefer Authori- for a person Democracy tarianism like me Jun 09 53% 18% 28% Sep Mar 10 (AB) Mar Mar Mar Jun Sep Jul 14 (AB) Jun Dec Jun Sep Jun Mar Sep * Other terms used in discussing the results: committed democrats for those who Always prefer Democracy, conditional authoritarians for those who Sometimes prefer Authoritarianism, and indifferent for those who say It does not matter. Note: Don t Know and Refused responses are not shown. Q. Alin sa mga sumusunod na pangungusap ang pinakamalapit sa inyong opinyon? (SHOWCARD) [ANG DEMOKRASYA AY PALAGING MAS KANAIS-NAIS KAYSA SA IBANG KLASE NG PAMAHALAAN; SA MGA ILANG SITUWASYON, ANG PAMAHALAANG DIKTATURYA AY MAS KANAIS-NAIS KAYSA SA ISANG DEMOKRATIKO; PARA SA MGA TAONG KATULAD KO, WALANG KABULUHAN SA AKIN KUNG ANG ATING PAMAHALAAN AY DEMOKRATIKO O HINDI DEMOKRATIKO] Sources of Survey Data: Social Weather Stations Surveys ( ); EAB = East Asia Barometer 2002 Survey; AB = Asia Barometer 2005, 2010, and 2014 Survey. Chart 2 SATISFACTION WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS BY PREFERENCE FOR DEMOCRACY, MAR 2018 AND SEP Always prefer Democracy 17 March 2018 September 2018 Sometimes Does not Sometimes prefer matter for Always prefer Authoritarianism like me Democracy a person prefer Authoritarianism Does not matter for a person like me 26 Dissatisfied with the way democracy works Satisfied with the way democracy works 0 NET* * % Satisfied minus % Dissatisfied

7 04 October 2018, page 7 of 7 Chart 3 % SATISFIED WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS: PHILIPPINES, EU 28, AND LATIN AMERICA 18, NOV 1991 TO SEP % PH % of adults % Ave. EU 28 34% Ave. LatAm Q. On the whole, are you... (VERY SATISFIED, FAIRLY SATISFIED, NOT VERY SATISFIED, NOT AT ALL SATISFIED) with the way democracy works in the Philippines? Sources: Social Weather Stations, Eurobarometer, and Latinobarómetro. Table 3 % SATISFIED WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS: PHILIPPINES, EU 28, AND LATIN AMERICA 18 Nov 91 45% Feb Apr 92 Oct Dec Apr 93 Apr Nov 93 Dec May 94 Nov Dec 94 May 95 48% Jun Dec Apr Jun Sep Apr Jun Nov 97 48% Dec 97 41% 64% May Jul Sep Nov Jun Oct Dec Mar Jul Sep Dec Sep Nov Mar 02 (EAB) 53 Mar May Sep Nov Mar 03 46% 33% Jun Oct % Jun Dec Mar Aug Dec 05 (AB) 38 Dec Mar Sep Feb Mar Apr Jun Jun Feb Jun Jun Sep Mar 11 52% 64% Aug 11 39% Mar Nov Mar Jun Sep Jun Nov Jun Dec Jun Sep Mar May Jun Aug Nov Mar Sep 18 84