Media-Ting Africa's Civil Society: Hierarchical Linear Modeling of Individual and State-Level Effects on Support for Democracy

Abstract

A number of studies have hypothesized a relationship between social capital and features of democracy. However, generalizations have been scarce; conclusive results, minimal. The best we can say at this point is that the effect of civil society is conditional, depending on a myriad of state and individual-level factors. While civil society is thought to encompass two primary components: associational life and public communication, few scholars have investigated these factors across levels of analysis. I use hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and data from the third round of the Afrobarometer survey to investigate state-level media effects on individual attitudes toward democracy. Preliminary results indicate that an individual’s support for democracy is affected by involvement in formal associations which is itself conditioned by state-level media consumption and political knowledge.