US EditionHow the COVID-19 pandemic has affected political trust
- On March 22, 2020, the German government implemented its first lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now been five years in the past.
- A study by the University of Oldenburg and the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories examined the shifts in attitudes toward political institutions in Germany during the three pandemic years following the initial lockdown.
- The study, based on longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study with 7,008 respondents interviewed five times between 2017 and 2023 and published in Political Research Exchange, found that trust in political institutions and media initially surged, creating a "rally-around-the-flag effect," particularly benefiting core state institutions like the federal government and the Bundestag, before declining considerably.
- Professor Zoch, the project leader, stated, "Our analysis shows that there were major fluctuations in political trust during the pandemic," further noting that "The decrease in trust in the federal government and the Bundestag in the second year of the pandemic clearly demonstrates this,".
- The decline in trust, particularly towards the police and established print media in Germany, had long-term consequences, as stable trust in political institutions and media is essential for a functioning democracy, and a lack of political trust can trigger the spread of conspiracy myths and impair government functioning.
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10 Articles
The Conversation
follow.itBritons increasingly trust each other – but trust in politicians has slumped since the pandemic
ITS/ShutterstockOne surprise in the early days of the pandemic was people’s increased willingness to trust political authorities. According to the British Social Attitudes survey (BSA), the proportion of people trusting government ministers rose from 15% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Data from Ipsos MORI showed a similar bounce for trust in government ministers and politicians in 2021. Trust in government was also a significant factor in whether peopl…
How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected political trust
Five years have passed since 22 March 2020, when the German government at the time imposed the first lockdown in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a two-week measure developed into a prolonged crisis that led to restrictions on close interpersonal contact, curfews, and closed schools and daycare centers. In the three pandemic years that followed, attitudes in Germany towards political institutions changed considerably.
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