Support for democracy in Malawi: does schooling matter?

This paper explores the effect of education on understandings of and support for democratic government in Malawi - paying particular attention to the consequences of primary schooling, which remains the modal experience of Malawian voters.

The study indicates that primary schooling promotes citizen endorsement of democracy and rejection of non-democratic alternatives even when it has taken place under authoritarian rule, without explicit civic education. It finds that the educated not only support democracy but they have a better understanding of why they are supporting it.

As a tool of intervention for the promotion of democratic cultures, education per se, would thus seem to represent a good investment - especially as it is effective, in part at least, even when provided at only relatively elementary levels: Primary schooling in particular has a strong positive effect on general preferences for democracy and the rejection of non-democratic alternatives.