Ni justo ni legítimo: The role of social status and neoliberal context on perceived social justice in Latin America and its political consequences

We study the role of social status and neoliberal contexts on perceptions of social justice and their consequences for political behaviour in Latin America. While most literature measures these perceptions through personal assessments of income distribution fairness, we resort to a wider understanding including perceptions of fairness on access to fundamental rights. Using data from the Latinobarómetro 2020 survey (N ≈ 20,204), we find that perceived social justice involves assessments of income inequality and access to education, health and justice. Based on self-interest theory, we expect higher-status individuals to perceive the world as more just, as this perception aligns with their interests. We also argue that neoliberal contexts moderate this relationship by narrowing justice perception gaps across status groups, as these contexts advance ideologies emphasizing individual responsibility and meritocracy. Regression models suggest that social status, measured through three indicators (social class, socioeconomic status, and subjective income) is positively related to perceived social justice. Interaction models suggest that, in more neoliberal societies, differences in perceived social justice among social status groups tend to narrow. Finally, we find that perceived social justice is associated with satisfaction with life, democracy and economic system, and reduced intention to participate in protests.