Abstract

The 1990s in Belgium were characterized by many more demonstrations than in the decennia before. Do these demonstrations signal a democratic malaise, or are they, oppositely, signs of a regained democratic vitality that drives citizens to enhance their participation through taking part in a rising number of collective actions? Putnam spoke of the relation between a crisis in democratic legitimacy and the level of social trust in a society. Using surveys taken on four national demonstrations we have tried to describe the trust in democratic institutions and in politics - or more simply put: the democratic capital - of demonstrators. The level of political distrust among demonstrators was high but supposedly not higher as that of the average Citizen. It is clear that distrust is not the only motivation for the demonstrators to take to the streets, as the belief in change and the subjective personal political ability are both relatively strong.

How to Cite:

Van Aelst, P., Walgrave, S. & Decoster, K., (1999) “Politiek wantrouwen en protest: over het democratisch kapitaal van Belgische betogers”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 20(3-4), 441–469. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86483