Trust in Institutions as a Factor of Political Processes (Theoretical and Methodological Aspects)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of existing approaches to the analysis of the impact of trust on political processes. The following tasks are solved: definitions of trust and approaches to its measurement are presented, theories related to the sphere of trust are considered, the context and the possible impact of trust on the political processes are described. Researchers link the origin of trust in institutions with their effectiveness. Party, ethnic or other affiliation are listed among the factors that determine trust. A high level of trust in institutions promotes reform, facilitates political stability, improves tax collection and reduces corruption, and increases support for the ruling party in multi-party systems.