Civic engagement and democracy in Romania and Bulgaria

Abstract

This study analyzes the support for democracy in two Eastern European countries, Romania and Bulgaria, and emphasizes the importance of cultural factors for favorable attitudes towards democracy. Since other theories can not fully explain the growing differences between countries in the region, the author examines and suggests the utility of the theory of social capital. His findings indicate that social trust and civic activism relate somehow to political interest and political competence, but also to the democratic attitudes exhibited in these two countries. The conclusion is that social capital, although important for the spread of democratic values and for the full consolidation of democracy, adds little to the democratic values in Romania and Bulgaria.