Does Education Shape Support for Democracy in Pakistan: Evidence from the World Values Survey Wave 7 (2017–2022)

Abstract

This study aims to examine whether education shapes support for democracy in Pakistan by analyzing nationally representative data from the World Values Survey (WVS) Wave 7 (2017-2022). Based on the modernization theory and the civic culture approach, the study investigates the relationship between individuals’ level of education and their support for democracy within the hybrid political framework of Pakistan. This study utilizes quantitative research design and uses binary logistic regression to examine whether education plays a significant role in supporting democracy. Support for democracy is considered the dependent variable which is binary, and the education level is the independent variable, with age, income, and religiosity as the control variables. The findings reveal that, even though a massive majority of Pakistani citizens demonstrate the support of democracy, education fails to impact democratic support significantly. This implies that it is not formal education but could be because of normative aspirations, political experiences, and unease with dictatorial leadership that drives democratic preferences in Pakistan. The paper finds that the contextual and experience variables are more influential in influencing democratic support in Pakistan than the level of education, which refutes the universalism of the modernization theory in developing and hybrid regimes.