Mobilizing the Shy and Closed-Minded into Politics: The Mediating Role of Political Trust for Conventional Participation in the Americas

Abstract

Political participants tend to be extraverted and open to experience, but we know virtually nothing about the exceptions to the rule. Why do individuals low in extraversion and openness sometimes engage in public affairs? The answer to this question has implications for political equity in the expression and representation of public opinion, regardless of personality traits. To address my query, I turn to political trust as a mediator of the relationship between personality and political participation. I argue that extraverts often feel disappointed about the impersonal nature of public affairs and thus possess a lower level of political trust than introverts; meanwhile, people high in openness value progress and ideals, likely perceive a disconnect between their political preferences and political reality, and thus may be more likely to distrust government than the closed-minded. For the trust–participation link, I contend that trusting citizens will be inclined to perpetuate the status quo through conventional behaviors such as voting, attending government meetings, and contacting government officials. Using mediation analysis of AmericasBarometer survey data from North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, I find that introverted and closed-minded individuals tend to be more politically engaged—through their higher levels of political trust.