The democratic power of higher education: the association between schooling and adherence to democracy in the city of São Paulo

Abstract Education is often seen as a solution to democratic deficits, but its role in shaping political attitudes is still poorly understood. This article investigates the association between schooling and adherence to democracy in São Paulo. Departing from a representative sample of 2,417 interviews, our analysis of the São Paulo context is shown to be timely for the study, since the city performs well in educational assessments and has a relevant history of political engagement. Using hierarchical regression models, it was found that schooling is a significant predictor of adherence to democracy, with higher levels of schooling correlating to greater adherence. Our results differ from the findings of other studies that consider Brazil as a whole. We find that access to higher education is a key factor for the valorization of democracy.