Local civic participation can help reinforce the legitimacy of the democratic system

Does citizen involvement with politics and local issues influence the way that citizens view their democratic institutions? According to Carolina Johnson, the answer is yes, with new research showing that getting involved in a local level helps to reinforce the legitimacy of political and democratic institutions and creates more democratically minded citizens. In the context of a seeming political consensus amongst UK parties on the desirability of creating a more civically minded populace, this should be seen as encouraging.