Expectations About Future Economic Prospects and Satisfaction with Democracy: Evidence from European Countries during the COVID-19 Crisis

Elina De Simone; Lorenzo Cicatiello; Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta; Mauro Pinto

doi:10.1007/s11205-021-02783-8

Expectations About Future Economic Prospects and Satisfaction with Democracy: Evidence from European Countries during the COVID-19 Crisis

Soc Indic Res. 2022;159(3):1017-1033. doi: 10.1007/s11205-021-02783-8. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Authors

Elina De Simone¹, Lorenzo Cicatiello², Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta³, Mauro Pinto⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Economics, Roma Tre University, Via Silvio D'Amico 77, 00145 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
³ Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Naples L'Orientale, Largo San Giovanni Maggiore 30, 80134 Naples, Italy.
⁴ Department of Political Sciences "Jean Monnet", University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100 Caserta, Italy.

Abstract

Recent studies highlight that economic expectations are a crucial determinant of citizens' satisfaction with democracy (SWD). This article relies on a cross-sectional analysis of European survey data collected in the aftermath of COVID-19 disease to investigate the relationship between citizens' expectations about future economic prospects and their SWD. Our findings support the idea that citizens' expectations about future economic prospects are correlated with SWD. Furthermore, they reveal that perceived conditions of material wellbeing moderate this relationship.

Keywords: COVID-19 disease; Government support measures; Satisfaction with democracy; Subjective expectations.