Poster #73 - Endangered Democracy: A Multi-Level Multinational Analysis of Institutional and Societal Trust on Political Participation

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

Voting as a form of political participation is essential to a functioning democracy, as casting a ballot enables citizens to make decisions about their government and can reflect trust in the fairness and efficacy of the democratic system. Literature suggests that violence exposure can influence voting behavior in regions with historic conflict. In Africa, where many citizens continue to experience violent conflict, it is not certain how danger influences democratic participation. Using data from the Afrobarometer and the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), this study employs a two-level hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analysis, to examine individual and country level factors influencing political participation. Individual level results indicate that trust in formal and informal institutions, societal trust, and support for democratic processes are positively associated with political participation. At the country level, high danger levels threaten a functioning democracy. Significant cross-level interactions further revealed that both institutional and societal trust moderate the negative impact of danger on political participation, though institutional trust exerts a stronger buffering effect. Overall, this study reveals that danger level plays a crucial role in shaping democratic participation in African countries regardless of trust levels.

Authors

• Oghenerhuru Daniel, Northeastern University

• Jillian Alexandria Jackson Reeves, Northeastern University