To advise and scrutinize the government? Two types of political knowledge, political trust and unconventional participation

Abstract

Well-functioning democracies depend on citizens’ ability to make accurate political judgments and express them in the public sphere. Thus, in this research, we aim to better understand the role of political knowledge and political trust in shaping young Poles’ willingness to engage in unconventional participation such as signing a petition, boycotting specific products, taking part in a peaceful demonstration, or engaging in social media activities. We distinguish between two types of political knowledge: knowledge about the rules of the game and current political knowledge, which provide a more insightful look into the complex nature of relationships between political knowledge, political trust, and unconventional participation. In two studies (Study 1, N = 570 and Study 2; N = 1048) we found that unconventional participation was positively predicted by political trust, and political knowledge about the rules of the game. We also found a significant interaction effect between political trust and current political knowledge, suggesting that those high in current political knowledge may be more willing to participate only when being distrustful towards the current political system. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

From Individual Anxiety to Collective Narcissism? Adult Attachment Styles and Different Types of National Commitment

“… 2 This dataset was also used by Marchlewska, Cichocka, et al (2022) and Michalski et al (2021), though relationships between different variables were analyzed. …”

Self‐Worth and Politics: The Distinctive Roles of Self‐Esteem and Narcissism

“…Conceptions of what it means to be a "good citizen" usually emphasize the importance of moral obligation to pursue the common good and engage in different forms of political activism (Denters et al, 2006). In other words, to become a good citizen, one needs to care about the society, be well informed, and active in social and political domains (Dalton, 2016;Denters et al, 2006;Michalski et al, 2021).…”

“…Research shows that informed citizens who score high on political knowledge are more likely to take part in different types of political activities (Arnold, 2012; Delli Carpini & Keeter, 1996; Hooghe & Marien, 2013; Michalski et al, 2021). In fact, political knowledge serves as a personal resource that allows citizens to make accurate judgments about current political issues and helps them translate this information into meaningful forms of participation (Delli Carpini & Keeter, 1996).…”

When politics affects the self: High political influence perception predicts civic and political participation

“…1995; Furman et al, 2022). Motivation to gather information about politics significantly impacts political participation because it results in the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary for making meaningful political and societal decisions (Delli Carpini & Keeter, 1996;Luskin, 1990;Michalski et al, 2023). Moreover, to understand why some individuals exhibited higher levels of interest than others, past studies emphasized the role of education and family (Verba et al, 1995).…”