Eppur si muove. Causes and Consequences of Political Trust in Contexts of Inequality: The Case of Latin America

Abstract

[EN] In light of current debates on democratic backsliding and institutional legitimacy, this research is relevant for two key reasons. First, if, as Munck and Luna (2022) posit, institutions are intended to serve as “avenues of inclusion”, then understanding why they fail to inspire trust, particularly among marginalized populations, is essential. In this sense, the relevance of this research lies in its potential to offer insights into the responsiveness and inclusiveness of democratic representation in socially diverse and fragmented landscapes. The principle of equal opportunity is a foundational element of contemporary democratic systems (Milanovic, 2020). Research shows that institutions designed to promote political equality tend to enhance levels of trust among citizens (Nannestad et al., 2014; Rothstein & Uslaner, 2005), just as societies characterized by high political trust are more likely to support inclusive institutional frameworks (Berg & Bjørnskov, 2011; Bjørnskov & Svendsen, 2013). Second, this dissertation challenges the dominant assumption that declining political trust necessarily harms democracy. Understanding how low levels of trust, echoing Hirschman’s (1970) loyalty notion, may impact citizen engagement (through exit or voice behaviors) is important for assessing whether declines in political trust weakens democracy, as suggested by the traditional literature (Dalton, 2004; Klingemann and Fuchs, 1995; Linz and Stepan, 1996; Mishler and Rose, 1997), or whether, on the contrary, they might actually foster an active democratic citizenship. In this sense, by regarding political trust as not only the outcome but also the predictor, this study sheds light on its potential consequences, an area that remains underexplored, as several scholars have exposed (Carstens, 2023; Devine, 2024; Citrin & Stoker, 2018; Levi & Stoker, 2000).