Concept and framework
Easton (1975) divided political support into specific support, directed at incumbents' performance, and diffuse support, directed at the regime and institutions themselves. Political trust sits between them, referring to the expectation that government will generally do the right thing, and has been measured with American National Election Studies items such as how much one trusts the government to do what is right. Levi and Stoker (2000) linked trust to citizens' judgments of government trustworthiness, that is, its competence and honesty.
The Miller–Citrin debate
When trust in government fell sharply in the late 1960s, Miller (1974) read it as a warning sign that accumulated policy dissatisfaction was spreading into distrust of the regime itself. Citrin (1974) countered that distrust mainly reflected discontent with incumbent politicians and parties and could recover when leaders changed, so it was not a regime crisis. The debate turned into a question of whether trust is closer to specific or diffuse support. Mishler and Rose (2001) found in post-communist countries that trust depends more on institutional performance than on cultural tradition.
Political consequences of trust
Hetherington (1998) showed that trust is not only an outcome of performance but also a cause of presidential approval and political support. Hetherington (2005) argued that declining trust especially weakened support for redistributive policies that do not directly benefit the respondent. Low trust is discussed together with low political efficacy, affective polarization and support for anti-establishment parties, though some argue that a degree of critical distrust is part of healthy democratic citizenship that keeps power in check.
FAQ
- What is political trust in simple terms?
- It is how much you believe the government and politicians will generally do the right thing.
- Is distrust always bad?
- Not necessarily. Some argue critical distrust that keeps power in check is part of healthy democracy; the problem is chronic distrust of the whole system.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Miller, A. H. (1974). Political issues and trust in government: 1964–1970. American Political Science Review, 68(3), 951–972. Classic study linking policy dissatisfaction to falling trust.
- Citrin, J. (1974). Comment: The political relevance of trust in government. American Political Science Review, 68(3), 973–988. Rejoinder arguing distrust reflects incumbents, not the regime.
- Easton, D. (1975). A re-assessment of the concept of political support. British Journal of Political Science, 5(4), 435–457. Distinguishes specific and diffuse support.
- Hetherington, M. J. (1998). The political relevance of political trust. American Political Science Review, 92(4), 791–808. Trust as a cause of political outcomes.
- Levi, M., & Stoker, L. (2000). Political trust and trustworthiness. Annual Review of Political Science, 3, 475–507. Broad review of political trust research.
- Mishler, W., & Rose, R. (2001). What are the origins of political trust? Testing institutional and cultural theories in post-communist societies. Comparative Political Studies, 34(1), 30–62. Tests institutional vs. cultural origins of trust.
- Hetherington, M. J. (2005). Why trust matters: Declining political trust and the demise of American liberalism. Princeton University Press. Book on trust and support for government programs.