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The Consequences of Political Trust for Policy Support

Objective

Public trust in institutions is widely seen by academics, practitioners, and politicians as fundamental to (legitimately) addressing complex policy problems in democracies, allowing governments to intervene, experiment, and develop policy for the long-term. Despite this, our understanding of the consequences of trust for policy support is under-theorised and the empirical evidence limited. The vast majority of research has focused on its causes, correlates, and trends, sidelining whether it matters, and what little evidence there is on the consequences of trust is patchy and contradictory. CONTRUST will answer:

How and why does political trust have consequences for policy support?

CONTRUST provides the first systematic theoretical and empirical examination of whether, how, and why trust matters. It offers a cross-national mixed-methods study of trust’s consequences in three defining global policy arenas: climate and environment, redistribution and inequality, and crime. Utilising longitudinal, experimental, and focus group data from six European countries, the project tests a novel theory about how political trust conditions support for policies fundamental to contemporary democratic governance. The project offers a breakthrough in understanding political trust and the role that it can play in supporting policymakers – and the damage that its erosion can do. This understanding will benefit not only an academic audience but also those seeking practical means of encouraging or harnessing trust.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 493 479,00
Address
Highfield
SO17 1BJ SOUTHAMPTON
United Kingdom

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Region
South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 493 479,00

Beneficiaries (1)