Exploring the link between trust and political participation in a divided society: evidence from South Africa

ABSTRACT

In empirical research political scientists have found that individuals with higher levels of trust participate more frequently in politics. But how does this link manifest in deeply divided societies? Examining South Africa 10 years after transitioning to democracy, this paper argues that South Africans’ attitudes towards ethnic others shape their decision to participate in political activities. Drawing upon scholarship on the micro-foundations of trust and participation and using Afrobarometer survey data from over 2000 respondents across South Africa in 2005, I find that South Africans who have been more trusting of non-coethnics have participated more frequently in a broad range of political activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Participation
• trust
• South Africa
• ethnicity
• Afrobarometer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Ann K. Karreth http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5287-0188

Notes

1 According to Habib and Naidu (2006), voting patterns among Coloured and Indian voters appear to be more class-based than race-based.

2 As a percentage of respondents who stated that they had not contacted their MP in the previous year – Madagascar 94.74; South Africa: 94.38.

3 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Voter Turnout Database, https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/voter-turnout.

4 For estimation details, see online appendix.

5 Afrobarometer Data, South Africa, Round 6, Year 2014/2015, available at http://www.afrobarometer.org.