Privatization and Public Opinion in Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico: A Test of Alternative Models

This article examines three models of how the general public forms attitudes about privatization of public services, using national survey data collected in Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The economic utility model received the most consistent and strongest support across these countries. Social class matters, but more important for citizen support for privatization is satisfaction with one's current economic situation. Consistent with the political cuing model, opposition party loyalty and presidential approval were related to support for privatization in the cases of the two countries with a longer history of competitive democracy (Chile and Costa Rica). Support for the belief consistency model was found in both Mexico and Chile but not in Costa Rica where privatization is more recent and has been less extensively carried out.