Government Trust in Times of Crisis
International crises are a stress test for governments, offering opportunities to rally citizens but also risking dissatisfaction with tough policy choices. While trust in government has fluctuated in many European countries during recent times of uncertainty, the Swiss government has benefited from a reservoir of trust providing a buffer against dissatisfaction.
Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow understood trust as a “lubricant” that makes social interaction smoother. Trust in government is thus a key resource for the functioning of society. While times of stability can contribute to trust building, times of crisis put pressure on trust relations.
Multiple international crises have shaken European countries in recent years, including transnational terrorism, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2022 Russian largescale invasion of Ukraine. Governments were forced to act and risked dissatisfying their constituents with potentially unpopular choices. In this environment, trust in government has been volatile and ultimately declining in several European countries. This has not been the case in Switzerland where trust has remained high. This analysis examines the factors that explain this diverging trend and holds important implications for how trust in government will develop in future crises.