Democracy and Democratic Values in Bulgaria: The Outlook of the Students of Economics

Abstract

The present article there analyzes the results of an opinion poll, conducted among students of economics from UNWE, Sofia and the Economic University in Varna, concerning the attitude, dispositions and perceptions of democracy as a type of political system and fundamental democratic values. The authors seek to test two main hypotheses: (1) support for democracy as a type of political system and the democratic values among students, irrespective of gender and the university they study at; (2) a high degree of students’ awareness of the content of the fundamental democratic values, particularly of those, connected with economics. The results, connected with the evaluation of the democracy in Bulgaria, its efficiency, its main characteristics, the role of the civil society, the interaction between state and civil society, understanding of equality etc., are subject to interpretation. The authors offer evaluations and conclusions, connected with the attitudes of the students of economics, as well as opinions of the need for additional research.