UC Davis

The aim of this thesis is to examine the intersection of crime exposure, trust ingovernment, and public support for authoritarian measures in El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele. President Bukele’s populist governing style and heavy-handed domestic security policies have significantly reduced crime but at the cost of civil liberties, raising concerns about democratic backsliding. Using survey data from the 2023 LAPOP survey, this study explores how crime victimization and trust in President Bukele impact public willingness to support measures like military coups and the dissolution of democratic institutions. The findings of this study challenge conventional wisdom, revealing that public support for security over democratic values is neither uniform across government actions nor easily predictable. Trust in Bukele moderates this relationship, but the effects are not as impactful as initially anticipated. This research contributes to broader discussions on governance, democracy, and human rights by showing how domestic security threats and political trust shape public attitudes in developing democracies.