Attitudes towards Democracy in Bulgaria: The Importance of Social Inequalities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.19.2.8

Keywords:

democracy, attitude, Bulgaria, socioeconomic conditions, inequality, poverty

Abstract

This research is an attempt to examine the developmental relationship between democracy and the socioeconomic conditions in Bulgaria. The assumption is that one of the factors contributing to the negative attitude towards democracy in Bulgaria is the high level of social inequality. After discussing the relevance of studying democracy and socioeconomic conditions from a developmental perspective, the paper traces the socioeconomic development of Bulgaria from 1989 to date and examines public perceptions of social inequality in the country. The research has not revealed any overall negative public attitude towards democracy in Bulgaria. However, the findings have demonstrated a clear tendency for the public support for democracy to decline reflecting the growth of social inequality.

Author Biography

Zhivko Minkov, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria

Zhivko Minkov, PhD is a member of the department of Political Sciences at New Bulgarian University. His main research areas are social policy, European social policy, social inequalities and quality of democracy, and pension policy.

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Published

2019-12-30

How to Cite

Minkov, Z. (2019). Attitudes towards Democracy in Bulgaria: The Importance of Social Inequalities. English Studies at NBU, 5(2), 323–349. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.19.2.8

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Articles