HETHERINGTON, Marc J

The effect of political trust on the presidential vote, 1968-96 - New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, June 1999

Scholars exploring the link between declining political trust and declining political participation have consistently arrived at null findings. Citrin (1974) finds those who trust the government are no more likely to vote, engage in campaign activities, or follow campaigns and public affairs than those who do not. Similarly, Rosenstone and Hansen (1993) find that, controlling for other factors, trust has no significant effect on any form of electoral participation. Only Miller, Goldenberg, and Erbring (1979) provide any evidence that trust affects participation, and they find only an indirect effect through external efficacy.