RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Political Panorama 2022 survey, conducted by the DataSenado Institute in collaboration with the University of Brasília (UnB), shows that more voters in Brazil identify with the right than the left.
Of the 5,888 people surveyed in the last two months of 2021, 21% said they were of the right, and 11% said they were of the left.
Left and right are designations that date back to the French Revolution that began in 1789, when the Jacobins, who were considered radical progressives, occupied the seats on the left side of the National Convention, while the Girondins, the more moderate commoners, sat on the right.
This term’s more recent definitions come from the Italian philosopher Norberto Bobbio (1909-2004). Bobbio cites the fight against inequality and respect for individual freedoms as critical elements in distinguishing right from left.
Politicians on the left advocate a state that works to reduce social inequalities and regulate private economic activity, possibly making concessions in limiting certain freedoms, such as market freedom, privacy, and freedom of choice in medical affairs.
On the other hand, right-leaning politicians believe in a minimally interventionist model of government, in which extensive economic freedom should lead to job and wealth creation. There are various gradations and possible combinations, such as center-left and center-right.
In the 2022 Political Panorama survey, 9% of respondents said they were center. However, the highest percentage was recorded among those who classify themselves as “neither right, left, nor center,” i.e., who do not fit into a political spectrum: 55% said they do.
The survey shows a decline in Brazilians’ interest in politics: 10 years ago, 63% said they were interested in the subject, according to DataSenado. In 2022, the index is 53%. Insufficient knowledge of the political system, low exposure to the subject in schools, and a sense of disillusionment were some of the reasons cited by respondents.
The survey also asked about trust in electronic ballot boxes: 66% trusted their results, 32% said they did not trust them, and 3% could not give an answer.
“The percentage of distrust is high. We must not downplay the importance of this problem because there are millions of voters who, at the very least, do not feel motivated to go to the polls or who might doubt the election results. The poll is a warning signal,” said Professor Marisa von Bűlow of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Brasilia in an interview with Agência Senado.
Electronic ballot boxes have been used in Brazil since 1996, with no incidents of fraud. But they have been attacked and questioned by President Jair Bolsonaro.
On Friday (13), the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) completed public security tests of the ballot boxes with simulations of hacking attacks. No vulnerability was found.