Trendalert - Institutional Trust

This trend alert looks at the topic of institutional trust. The Netherlands has traditionally been considered a relatively stable ‘high-trust society’ when looking at institutional trust. But why has there been a decline since the 1990s? At the same time, there have been volatile fluctuations in the trust citizens have for institutions over the last 18 months during the corona pandemic.
This two-fold trend alert examines the trend of institutional trust on both a long-term timeline and a short term timelines, i.e. what happens in times of crisis. More importantly, it explores how drivers such as the shift in the attitude of the average citizen and the spread of disinformation influences the level of trust citizens have in political and scientific institutions. And when looking at institutional trust, careful consideration must be given to the nuances and subgroups. Finally, it examines the lessons learned for the water sector?