One potential explanation for these observations is that increased media access
may have activated citizens to apply pressure on their governments through a
variety of means that were manifested here as elements of sociopolitical instability.
Altogether, it is worthwhile to consider these results as creating conceptual space for a
possible addendum to the already supported macrolevel propositions of MSD theory.
Namely, more prevalent media systems might not only contribute to democracy
under the conditions outlined in MSD, they seem to also potentially influence the
structural level of sociopolitical instability that Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976) and
Rubin and Windahl (1986) identified as having audience effects. Such a restructuring
of theoretical expectations would take into account the dualistic role in democratic