ABSTRACT
Political theorists and scientists argue that the political culture of mass publics is critical to democracy. A society whose citizens are antagonistic to participation or democratic norms will have poorer prospects for democracy than one whose citizens embrace them. A persistent image of Latin America is that its political culture embraces neither democratic norms nor democracy itself. Some students of democratization advance reasons for pessimism about Latin America, and again Costa Rica appears anomalous. Ronald Inglehart contends that nations reach democracy through centuries of sociocultural change. The chapter examines political culture by exploring three themes: general political culture, attitudes toward government, and democratic and authoritarian attitudes. It explains that democracy and authoritarianism constitute antithetical political systems. Elites control or influence key social, political, and economic resources within a society. Elites and masses largely share the same political values. Elites manifest even more commitment to democratic liberties than the general urban public and approve less of antidemocratic tactics.
