The Effects of Economic Crisis on Trust: Paradoxes for Social Capital Theory

Jordi Caïs (), Diego Torrente () and Catalina Bolancé ()
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Jordi Caïs: University of Barcelona
Diego Torrente: University of Barcelona
Catalina Bolancé: University of Barcelona

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2021, vol. 153, issue 1, No 8, 173-192

Abstract: Abstract The theory of social capital rarely takes economic variables into account. This article confirms that economic factors had greater explanatory power for social trust and trust in institutions during times of economic crisis, due mainly to increased economic polarization of the population. We use Spain as a case study to analyse the impact of a number of variables on social and institutional trust before and during the economic crisis. The 2008 economic crisis in Spain resulted in a paradox: a notable decline in trust in institutions, together with a surprising increase—rather than the expected decrease—in social trust. The data analysed here also highlight the possibility that the two types of trust did not track in a mutually supportive manner due to the emergence of Movimiento 15 M, which gave rise to the appearance of new political parties such as Podemos, on the extreme left of the electoral scale.

Keywords: Social trust; Trust in institutions; Economic crisis; Political movements; Social capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-020-02385-w

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