Levels of both political and social trust tend to play a crucial role in democracies. Yet we have little understanding of the ways in which trust operates in nondemocratic societies. This article finds that levels of political confidence are linked to generalized trust in both democratic and nondemocratic states. In democracies, then, levels of generalized trust may reinforce existing democratic institutions. In nondemocracies, however, generalized trust may be linked to support for authoritarian patterns of rule. This article argues that although generalized trust serves democracy in democratic settings, it is not linked to democratic forms of political and social engagement in the less democratic states of the Arab world.
Abramson, P. (1983). Political attitudes in America. San Francisco: Freeman and Company.
2.
Almond, G. (1963). The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
3.
Almond, G., & Verba, S. (1963). The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
4.
Bianco, W.T. (1994). Trust: Representatives and constituents. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
5.
Diamond, L. (1993). The return to political culture. In L. Diamond (Ed.), Political culture and democracy in developing countries. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
6.
Fish, S. (2002). Islam and authoritarianism. World Politics, 55(1), 4-37.
7.
Freedom House. (2005). Country reports: Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Retrieved from http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=15&year=2005
8.
Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity. New York: Simon & Schuster.
9.
Gamson, W. (1968). Power and discontent. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
10.
Gibson, J. (2001). Social networks, civil society, and the prospects for consolidating Russia's democratic transition. American Journal of Political Science, 45(1), 51-68.
11.
Hardin, R. (1996). Trustworthiness. Ethics, 107, 26-42.
12.
Hart, V. (1978). Distrust and democracy: Political distrust in Britain and America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
13.
Inglehart, R. (1990). Culture shift in advanced industrial society. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
14.
Inglehart, R., & Norris, P. (2003, March/April). The true clash of civilizations. Foreign Policy, 135, 62-70.
15.
Knight, J. (2000). Social norms and the rule of law: Fostering trust in socially diverse societies. In K. Cook (Ed.), Trust in society (pp. 354-373). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
16.
Levi, M. (1996). Making democracy work [Book review]. Politics and Society, 24, 45-55.
17.
Mishler, W., & Rose, R. (1997). Trust, distrust and skepticism: Popular evaluations of civil and political institutions in post-communist societies. Journal of Politics, 59, 418-451.
18.
Muller, E., & Seligson, M. (1994). Civic culture and democracy: The question of causal relationship. American Journal of Political Science, 88, 635-652.
19.
Newton, K., & Norris, P. (2000). Confidence in public institutions: Faith, culture, or performance? In S. Pharr & R. Putnam (Eds.), Disaffected democracies: What's troubling the trilateral countries? (pp. 52-73). Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press.
20.
Norris, P. (Ed.). (1999). Critical citizens: Global support for democratic governance. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
21.
Offe, C. (1999). How can we trust our fellow citizens? In M. Warren (Ed.), Democracy and trust (pp. 42-87). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
22.
Pharr, S., & Putnam, R. (Eds.). (2000). Disaffected democracies: What's troubling the trilateral countries?Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
23.
Putnam, R. (1993). Making democracy work. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
24.
Russett, Bruce, and Daniela Donno. (2004). Islam, authoritarianism, and female empowerment: What are the linkages?World Politics, 56(4), 582-607.
25.
Sztompka, P. (1999). Trust: A sociological theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
26.
Tocqueville, A. de. (1956). Democracy in America. Heffner, R. D. (Ed.). New York: New American Library.
27.
Uslaner, E. (2002). The moral foundations of trust. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
