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The idea that a wave of distrust has swept over established democracies in recent years is commonly accepted. This book presents a contrary view. Drawing on various datasets, it reveals a disconnect between the popular commentary and the empirical reality.
The Trust Gap suggests that the most extreme cases — such as the US and the UK — distort our thinking about trust. It looks beyond trust in government to examine trust in a range of institutions, including courts, universities and the media. In doing so, it suggests that while countries such as the US do face a crisis of trust, many established democracies demonstrate resilience rather than vulnerability.
Using the framework of trust gaps, this book offers a stocktake on the state of trust in the 21st century, contributing a more nuanced and hopeful account than the headlines suggest.
“In this must-read book, Martin provides the freshest take that I’ve seen on political trust in decades.” Marc Hetherington, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"A smart, mythbusting look at trust today, showing where confidence really holds up and what that means for healthy democracies." Andrew Leigh, Australian MP and author of 'The Shortest History of Economics'
Introduction: Dissecting the ‘Crisis Of Trust’
1. Why Institutional Trust Matters
2. Trust Gap One: Who We Trust and Who We Don’t
3. Trust Gap Two: Who Trusts?
4. Trust Gap Three: How High Quality of Government/High Trust Countries Make Policy Work
5. Trust Gap Four: Trust in the Media Versus Trust in Experts
6. Bridging Trust Gaps