ABSTRACT
An important aspect of the issue of governance in a modern democracy concerns the extent to which the institutions of the political system are regarded as being legitimate and trustworthy in the eyes of citizens. This is an aspect of the literature on social capital, in which voluntary organizations are seen as being the key mechanism for promoting cooperation between actors, and providing a framework in which trust between individuals and the state can be fostered (see Putnam 1993 and 1995; Fukuyama 1995; Coleman 1988 and 1990).
