Are citizens losing their trust in political institutions? That was the central question that was explored during the policy afternoon on Friday, 20 June. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Dana Sisak, panel members offered insights into the state of political trust in the Netherlands, across OECD countries, and within the academic literature.
Erasmus School of Economics regularly organizes Policy Afternoons to bring together academics, practitioners, policy makers and advisors. These events aim to explore policy challenges and discuss how academic research can contribute to improving societal outcomes. Another important goal is to strengthen communication and collaboration between academia and the policy world.
Expert perspectives on political trust
The event opened with introductory remarks from panel members Josje den Ridder (the Netherlands Institute for Social Research, SCP) Sarah Kups (OECD), and Massimo Morelli (Bocconi University and the Centre for Economic Policy Research, CEPR), who each brought valuable perspectives to the discussion. Their contributions highlighted the current state of trust in political institutions, ranging from the Netherlands to broader OECD contexts, and explored the underlying drivers. They also drew on academic research to examine the causes, consequences, and potential policy implications.
Key takeaways from the panel
Josje den Ridder cautioned that while understanding political trust is important, more trust is not always better. She emphasized that increasing trust should not be a policy goal by itself. Instead, the focus should be on promoting good governance.
Sarah Kups identified key predictors of trust in government across 30 OECD countries. These include citizens’ perceptions of governments’ ability to address intergenerational challenges, the use of evidence in policymaking, and the degree to which citizens feel heard.
Massimo Morelli underlined the complexity of rebuilding trust in national institutions in the face of global challenges. He suggested that a possible direction is to build trust in new institutions or programs at the EU level.
Round table discussion and future outlook
During the second half of the afternoon, the panel members participated in a lively round table discussion. Audience members engaged directly with the panellists, raising questions and deepening the conversation around the earlier insights. The round table discussion concluded with a reflection on the current cooperation between academic researchers, policy advisers and policy makers and how this collaboration might be strengthened moving forward.
