Trust Towards Traditional Authority amid Fear and Democratization: Evidence from Somalia

Our primary research question for this study is: “ How does fear of violence impact individual trust towards traditional leaders and democratic institutions?” We aim to examine the competing dynamics between an individual’s choice for traditional and democratic institutions. We argue that in a multi-tribal or ethnic society, in-group mobilization tendencies are stronger when people perceive fear of violence. We test this conjecture by designing and implementing a survey research in Somalia where tribal dynamics are deeply rooted, while democratization efforts are just beginning.