Economics Research Seminar

Interpersonal Trust During Times of Political Unrest

Do extreme political events affect interpersonal trust, and does their impact depend on individuals' perceptions of these events? Using an online incentivized survey sent to a large sample of the Israeli adult population, we compare interpersonal trust before and after the advancement of the controversial judiciary reform introduced in Israel in 2023. We find that interpersonal trust dropped across the board, with the largest decline observed among those who held neutral attitudes towards the reform. Initially, they had higher trust levels than the ideological groups, but following the political shock, interpersonal trust became indistinguishable across groups. We propose a model that accounts for these patterns.

Contact person : Manuel Grieder