political trust
Definition
Political trust refers to the confidence people have in their government and the extent to which they see their government as trustworthy and competent. Electoral processes and their outcomes influence political trust fluctuations, with trust generally increasing following elections, though this increase is moderated by whether one's preferred party wins or loses and by prior engagement in political collective action; specifically, unsuccessful collective action may hinder the typical increase in political trust following an election, particularly in local electoral contexts.
Sources: Marinthe et al. (2026)
Related Terms
Applications
Political Trust and Collective Action
Collective action engagement moderates the relationship between electoral outcomes and changes in political trust. While political trust typically increases following elections, individuals who invested heavily in collective action and whose preferred local candidate lost experience a hindered or absent post-election trust boost, suggesting that unsuccessful collective action undermines beliefs that the political system is responsive to citizen input.
Sources: Marinthe et al. (2026)
Political Trust and Electoral Outcomes
Electoral results significantly influence political trust trajectories, with supporters of winning parties experiencing greater increases in trust than supporters of losing parties following elections. Local electoral outcomes matter, with trust increasing more when one's preferred local candidate wins versus loses.
Sources: Marinthe et al. (2026)
