Global Decline in Trust in Parliaments, Governments, Study Finds

Recent research from the University of Southampton reveals a significant decline in public trust towards representative political institutions across democratic nations, analyzed through over five million survey responses from 143 countries between 1958 and 2019. While trust in institutions such as parliaments and governments has decreased, confidence in non-representative bodies like the police and civil service has remained stable or even increased, suggesting a crisis of confidence in elected representatives. Dr. Viktor Valgarðsson, the study's lead author, warns that this erosion of trust could facilitate the rise of populist leaders and authoritarianism, complicating governments' ability to address pressing issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study indicates that since 1990, trust in parliament has dropped by an average of 9% across democracies, with notable declines in countries including the United States, France, and Italy. Despite the decline in trust, many citizens still support the principles of democracy, highlighting a disconnect between public expectations and the performance of political institutions. These trends pose challenges for democratic governance and its future stability.