Trust and the politics of postcommunism
- 1 March 2001
- journal article
- Published by University of California Press in Communist and Post-Communist Studies
- Vol. 34 (1) , 27-38
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0967-067x(00)00021-0
Abstract
The citizens of postcommunist states have relatively low levels of trust in their basic political institutions. This paper argues that to consolidate the advances towards civil society and democracy particular attention must be paid to strengthening trust. Trust requires not just the institutional framework appropriate to democracy and the rule of law — already substantially in place — but also an appreciation of politics and civil society as spheres of continuing diversity, competition and conflict. The deficit of trust can be addressed by a leadership exemplary in its service to the public interest, and by an acceptance of the new, adversarial politics.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Constituents of Confidence and Mistrust in Australian InstitutionsAustralian Journal of Political Science, 1999
- Democratization, the Bourgeoisie and RussiaGovernment and Opposition, 1998
- Post‐Soviet political culture in Russia: An assessment of recent empirical investigationsEurope-Asia Studies, 1996
- Rethinking Civil Society: Postcommunism and the Problem of TrustJournal of Democracy, 1994
- Russian political culture: Evidence from public opinion surveysJournal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, 1994
- Sovietology and Russian HistoryPost-Soviet Affairs, 1992
- Transitions to Democracy: Toward a Dynamic ModelComparative Politics, 1970