%0 Journal Article
%T Institutional Trust and Congressional Autonomy in Latin America: Expectations, Performance, and Confidence in Peru¡¯s Legislature Confianza P¨²blica y Autonom¨ªa Legislativa en Am¨¦rica Latina: Expectativas, Desempe o, y Confianza en el Congreso del Per¨²
%A Barry S. Levitt
%J Journal of Politics in Latin America
%D 2011
%I German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
%X What role do Latin Americans expect legislatures to play vis-¨¤-vis the executive? How do expectations shape political trust in a developing democracy like Peru? This article introduces new indicators gauging citizens¡¯ current perceptions of, and idealized expectations for, the institutional independence of their elected assemblies. It uses 2007 data to test the hypothesis that the gap between the two indicators ¨C the ¡°legislative autonomy gap¡± ¨C predicts trust in Congress. Most Peruvians claimed to prefer a more autonomous legislature. And citizens whose high expectations for institutional independence were adequately met were more likely to express confidence in Congress. However, having low expectations of congressional autonomy met also enhanced confidence in that institution. Trust in Congress proved to be pragmatic too, tied to perceptions of strong national economic performance, confidence in political parties, approval of congressional leadership, and approval of the same president from whom most Peruvians wished Congress would become more independent.  Qu¨¦ quiere el ciudadano latinoamericano de su asamblea legislativa, respecto del ejecutivo?  C¨®mo se constituye la confianza ciudadana en una democracia en desarrollo como la del Per¨²? Este art¨ªculo introduce nuevos indicadores de percepciones actuales y expectativas idealizadas de la autonom¨ªa institucional del congreso. Con datos de opini¨®n p¨²blica del 2007, pone a prueba la hip¨®tesis de que la brecha entre estos dos indicadores predice la confianza en el congreso. Una mayor¨ªa de peruanos dice que prefiere una legislatura m¨¢s aut¨®noma. La confianza ciudadana en el congreso se vincula son la satisfacci¨®n de sus anhelos de independencia institucional. Pero el satisfacer una expectativa de baja autonom¨ªa legislativa tambi¨¦n aumentar¨ªa confianza en dicha asamblea. Adem¨¢s, la confianza pol¨ªtica resulta ser pragm¨¢tica, producto de percepciones ciudadanas del desempe o econ¨®mico, de los partidos pol¨ªticos y el liderazgo legislativo, y del mismo presidente de que el congreso supuestamente deber¨ªa independizarse.
%K Political Science
%K comparative politics
%K Peru
%K Latin America
%K trust
%K political institutions
%K legislative branch
%K separation of powers
%K 320
%K 322
%K 324
%K Peru
%K Latin America
%K 2007
%K 1996-2008
%K ciencia pol¨ªtica
%K Per¨²
%K Am¨¦rica Latina
%K confianza
%K instituciones pol¨ªticas
%K congreso
%K asambleas legislativas
%K separaci¨®n de poderes
%K Per¨²
%K Am¨¦rica Latina
%K 2007
%K 1996-2008
%U http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jpla/article/view/424