The Consequences of Political Trust for Policy Support

Objectif

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.