Beyond Group Differences: How Values, Problems, and Interests Shape Democratic Preferences

Democratic preferences are commonly linked to different groups based on socio-demographic characteristics and political attitudes. However, much of the existing literature remains vague about the conceptual basis of these preferences, especially regarding support for alternatives to representative democracy such as participatory democracy. While some studies implicitly interpret democratic preferences as expressions of internalized normative values, others emphasize instrumental motivations and self-interest as key drivers. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework that combines democratic principles and problems (Saward, 2021) with instrumental self-interest calculations (Werner, 2020). Using data from about 2,500 respondents in the United States and Germany, we then empirically test how these different components are linked to democratic preferences. According to our framework, democratic preferences are shaped by a combination of normative values, evaluations of political performance, and material self-interest. Citizens not only hold beliefs about the ideals that democracy should fulfill, but also assess whether democratic institutions effectively address the problems they face, such as economic insecurity, or declining living standards. In particular, among low-income and lower-status groups, pragmatic considerations (such as which political arrangements are likely to address perceived problems or improve material conditions) may override abstract democratic principles. We further argue that multiple components of democratic preferences influence subgroup analyses and can therefore interfere with an accurate interpretation of the observed preferences. These interpretations may overstate the stability of group memberships or the polarization between them, which can result in incomplete analyses of how to address pressing problems, such as democratic discontent. By combining open-ended measures of democratic understanding and perceived democratic problems with socio-demographic factors, we examine whether and to what extent support for different modes of governance is rooted in (1) democratic values (fundamental normative conceptions of democracy), (2) democratic problems (context-dependent, problem-driven evaluations), and (3) economic self-interest. This approach provides a more comprehensive and nuanced measurement of democratic preferences.