This paper presents two empirical studies analysing the relationships between individual's value systems and democratic attitudes. The subjects were university students in João Pessoa (Brazil). In the first study (n=350) we investigated the implicit dimensions present in both content and structure of student's value systems. The data were analysed from the framework of Schwartz´s Theory of Values and Inglehart´s distinction between materialist and post-materialist values. In the second study (n=200) those results were replicated and were also correlated to student's democratic attitudes. The main results were twofold. First, religious values were negatively correlated to democratic attitudes and second the post-materialist values were positively correlated to those attitudes. These findings were discussed pointing out the real meaning of democracy for those subjects.
Value systems; attitudes; democracy
