SUPPORT FOR COUPS IN DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL-CULTURE - A VENEZUELAN EXPLORATION

What do self-professed democrats mean when they hedge their opposition to military coups? Many believe that some coups improve democracy by unclogging political logjams and are an acceptable component of the de mocratic political game. Political culture theory labels this view of coups a mediating orientation. Do mediating political orientations ope rate differently from more ephemeral political attitudes? In Venezuela , persisting and overwhelming support of procedural democracy has coex isted with substantial backing for coups in the abstract. Political cu lture theorists would expect this result from mediating orientations. In contrast, views of specific coups are linked to opinions about spec ific political circumstances and change depending on these circumstanc es.