Public Trust in Institutions

Confidence in democratic institutions reaches concerning lows, threatening system legitimacy.

Trust Measurements

Surveys reveal systematic erosion:

Institution Rankings: Differential confidence: - Local mayors: Highest trust (60-70%) - Police/military: Significant trust - Judicial system: Moderate - National government: Low (25-35%) - Political parties: Lowest (15-20%) - Media: Declining rapidly

Temporal Evolution: Long-term decline: - 1980s: Relative confidence - 1990s: Erosion beginning - 2000s: Acceleration - 2010s: Crisis levels - 2020s: Pandemic effects mixed

International Comparisons: France below average: - Nordic countries: High trust - Southern Europe: Similar challenges - Anglo-Saxon: Variable - Post-communist: Lower still - Cultural factors significant

Trust Drivers

Multiple factors explain confidence erosion:

Performance Failures: Delivery disappointments: - Economic stagnation periods - Unemployment persistence - Public service degradation - Crisis management failures - Promise-delivery gaps

Scandal Impact: Corruption perceptions: - Political finance affairs - Nepotism revelations - Abuse of power cases - Media amplification - Impunity perceptions

Representation Gaps: Distance from citizens: - Elite homogeneity - Geographic concentration - Social reproduction - Language differences - Experience divergence

Structural Changes: Deeper transformations: - Individualization - Authority questioning - Information abundance - Comparison possibilities - Expectation inflation

Consequences

Low trust creates governance challenges:

Political Effects: - Extremism growth - Volatility increase - Participation decline - Protest preference - System rejection

Policy Implementation: - Compliance reduction - Resistance increase - Legitimacy questions - Enforcement costs - Reform blockages

Social Cohesion: - Solidarity weakening - Fragmentation - Conflict potential - Cooperation decline - Anomie risks

Restoration Attempts

Various strategies attempt rebuilding confidence:

Transparency Initiatives: - Open data - Asset declarations - Lobbying registers - Decision explanations - But limited impact

Participation Expansion: - Consultations - Citizen assemblies - Digital platforms - Local democracy - But tokenism risks

Integrity Measures: - Ethics authorities - Conflict rules - Sanction reinforcement - Cultural change attempts - But implementation gaps