Abstract
In this chapter we review the literature on the relationship between quality of government—conceptualized as quality of institutions at the output side of government—and generalized social trust (trust in unknown others). After reviewing the theoretical mechanisms—in both directions—proposed to link social trust and quality of government, we move to the empirical evidence. We report considerable evidence for a positive relationship between trust and various manifestations of quality of government at both the societal-level (macro) and the individual-level (micro). Most studies have limited causal leverage, but a few studies—primarily at the individual-level—employ designs better suited for causal statements. These studies suggest a positive effect of institutional quality on generalized social trust. We conclude the review by discussing path for further research.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of Quality of Government |
| Editors | Marcia Grimes, Monica Bauhr, Andreas Bågenholm, Bo Rothstein |
| Place of publication | Oxford |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Publication date | Jul 2021 |
| Pages | 539-558 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780198858218 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2021 |