Dissatisfaction and mistrust in West European democracies

Bibliographic Data

ID12416721
AuthorsMattei Dogan (0000-0002-0262-5392, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, corresponding author)
Year2002
Volume10
Issue1
Pages91-114
Publication date2002-02-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1062-7987 • E-ISSN: 1474-0575
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s106279870200008x
OpenAlexW2086846698
LanguageEN
Citations received2

An important proportion of citizens do not manifest confidence in many basic institutions (parliaments, parties, unions, army, public bureaucracies, big business, courts, ecclesiastic hierarchy, police) nor in the political class. Such a deficit of trust is attested by a wealth of empirical data. Nonetheless, the legitimacy of democratic regimes is not challenged: European citizens do not conceive realistically of an alternative system of government. A new counter-power is playing an increasing and crucial role in advanced pluralist democracies – that of magistrates and journalists combined. France and Italy are considered as typical cases, concerning in particular corruption at the highest level of the State and society. What types of citizens are needed in advanced democracies? Ignorant, naive, deferential, credulous, believers in myths or well informed, rationally distrustful citizens? Today, democracy is permanently under the supervision of the public, as attested by surveys conducted periodically

Bureaucracy · Democracy · Democratic legitimacy · Government (linguistics · Hierarchy · Language change · Legitimacy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Separation of powers · Sociology · State (computer science · European and International Law Studies · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration

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