Democracy, Trust and Social Justice

Until recently, democratic theory did not pay enough attention to the phenomenon of social trust & its role in building a stable & prosperous democratic order. Following the collapse of communism, it became clear that democracy can function only in societies characterized by a high level of trust & in which citizens are prepared & willing to work together toward common goals. Such generalized trust between disparate categories of people serves a number of functions critical to the development of democracy. It enables communication among citizens & bonds between different social groups, stimulates cooperative social relations, facilitates compromise & consensus, & contributes to tolerance & acceptance of differences. In this way trust underpins the growth & stability of democracy. According to the author, a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between democracy & trust should answer the question of the source of this trust. Trust, it is argued, can be generated through a government that is just, accountable, & devoted to the common good, & through institutions whose practices are governed by the norms of truth-telling, promise-keeping, contract-fulfilling, justice, & solidarity. This is why the principal task of the new Croatian government must be to build institutions whose patterns of behavior reflect these values. Failing this, further development of democracy in our country will be seriously stunted. 25 References. Adapted from the source document.