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Cited by 237Communication and COVID-19 ImpactRisk Perception and ManagementPublic Administration and Political Analysis

How trust, mistrust and distrust shape the governance of the COVID-19 crisis

Open access
Jennings, Will, Stoker, Gerry, Valgarðsson, Viktor, Devine, Daniel, Gaskell, Jennifer·2021·Journal of European Public Policy
DOI 10.1080/13501763.2021.1942151
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Abstract

It is commonplace to claim that trust is essential to effective governance in many contexts, including that of a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that trust is better understood as a family of concepts – trust, mistrust and distrust – and each of these may have different implications for the governance of COVID-19. Drawing on original measures tested through nationally representative surveys conducted in Australia, Italy, the UK and the USA between May and June 2020, we explore how these distinct types of trust are associated with citizens’ perceptions of the threat posed by COVID-19, and their behavioural responses to it. We show how public policy dynamics around the COVID-19 crisis are driven by each of the trust family members and that policymakers might gain more from promoting an information-seeking and mistrusting society, rather than a trusting one.

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Crossref · 10.1080/13501763.2021.1942151

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31 of 31 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • In political trust, Jennings et al. [48] differentiate trust and distrust by describing diverging attitudes and behaviors.

    “For example, in the context of political trust, Jennings et al. [48] diferentiate these concepts by describing the diverging attitudes and behaviors that accompany trust versus distrust.”

    From What Do We Mean When We Talk about Trust in Social Media? A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [48]

  • When people trust a political system, they have accompanying feelings of confidence in, and commitment toward, that system.

    “Specifcally, when people trust a political system, they have accompanying feelings of confdence in, and commitment toward, that system.”

    From What Do We Mean When We Talk about Trust in Social Media? A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [48]

  • Trust may inspire loyalty to a political system, while distrust can foster disengagement from or rebellion towards that system.

    “While trust may inspire loyalty to a system, distrust can foster disengagement from, or even rebellion towards, that same political system.”

    From What Do We Mean When We Talk about Trust in Social Media? A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [48]

  • Distrust in political systems is accompanied by negative emotions such as contempt, insecurity, fear, anger, alienation, and cynicism.

    “Rather, distrust in political systems is accompanied by negative emotions, such as contempt, insecurity, fear, anger, alienation, and cynicism [48].”

    From What Do We Mean When We Talk about Trust in Social Media? A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [48]

  • Distrust in political systems comes with a separate set of attitudes that are more than just the opposite of the attitudes accompanying trust.

    “In contrast, these same researchers explain that distrust comes with a separate set of attitudes that are more than just the opposite of the attitudes that accompany trust [48].”

    From What Do We Mean When We Talk about Trust in Social Media? A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [48]

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Authors
Jennings, W., Stoker, G., Valgarðsson, V., Devine, D., & Gaskell, J.
Affiliations
  • University of Southampton (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Jennings, Will
ORCID
Venue
Journal of European Public Policy
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2021-06-25
Volume
28
Issue
8
Pages
1174-1196
ISSN
  • 1350-1763 (ISSN-L)
  • 1466-4429
DOI
10.1080/13501763.2021.1942151
OpenAlex
W3175459982
Semantic Scholar
c51d1bd4ee445528f333312a9db9eef24913eb11
Cited by
237
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 5
FWCI
54.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of European Public Policy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
ESRC (ES/S009809/1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Risk Perception and Management
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Public Administration and Political Analysis
Keywords
trust, distrust, COVID-19 pandemic, public health governance, information seeking, pandemic governance

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