Populo - Volume 1, Issue 2

is between these two concepts. Before progressing on to apply this to four

different case studies, where the nature of participation ranges in

conventionality. The case studies we will explore are Watergate (impact on

voting after), the Iraq War protests, the Sit-in protests and the storming of the

US Capitol .

We initially hypothesise that the more citizens distrust their institutions, the

more likely the more unconventional their political participation becomes .

Through analysing the levels of trust in institutions for our four cases and the

impact that this had on forms of participation, our hypothesis is proven to be

true.

In our suggestions for why this may be the case we propose that levels of past

confidence and levels of group solidarity are key factors. However, we advise that

further study into additional cases be undertaken. We ultimately conclude that

the lower the level of trust in political institutions, the more unconventional

the form of participation is.

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