Institutional trust in the time of corona: Evidence from countermeasures in Germany

Wolfgang Stojetz, Neil Ferguson, Ghassan Baliki, Sarah Fenzl, Patricia Justino and Tilman Brück

No wp-2024-14, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: We study how the stringency of policy measures to counter the COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals' trust in formal institutions. Drawing on micro-level panel data from Germany spanning an 18-month period from the onset of the pandemic, we show that, on average, there is a pronounced negative relationship between the stringency level of COVID-19 countermeasures and trust in institutions. We present empirical evidence to argue that the underlying mechanism is a perceived illegitimate attack on civil liberties, reducing trust in the judiciary in particular.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pandemic; Crisis; Survey data; Trust; Institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-soc
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