Social Trust in Polarized Times: How Perceptions of Political Polarization Affect Americans’ Trust in Each Other

Abstract

Most Americans think that the country is politically divided and polarization will only get worse, not better. Such perceptions of polarization are widespread, but we do not know enough about their effects, especially those unrelated to political variables. This study examines the consequences of perceived polarization for levels of social trust in the United States. Trust in fellow citizens is the backbone of a well-functioning democracy, given its role in promoting social cohesion and facilitating collective action. Using nationally representative panel data, as well as an original survey experiment, I find that perceived polarization directly undermines Americans’ trust in each other. A belief that members of society share common values fosters social trust, but perceptions of partisan divisions and polarization make people less trusting of their fellow citizens. Due to perceived polarization, people are less likely to believe that others can be trusted to do the right thing, which in turn decreases their willingness to cooperate for good causes. I discuss the implications of these findings for society’s ability to work together toward common goals. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11109-022-09787-1.

Towards a Social Psychology of Cynicism

“…A 2022 paper shows how perceived polarization undermines outgroup trust [14]. People see the outgroup move away further and further from cherished ingroup values and come to see outgroup members as less trustworthy.…”

Reflexiones sobre la noción de tolerancia contextual como virtud personal. Un balance de la discusión sobre liberalismo y tolerancia

“…De otra parte, nos encontramos con una mayor polarización de creencias y valores. Me centraré en hacer un balance que se enfoque en evaluar la teoría moral defendida por González de la Vega a la luz de los cambios sociales actuales, teniendo en cuenta la menor tolerancia y la mayor polarización (Casal & Rama, 2021;Carothers & O'Donohue, 2019;Klein, 2020;Lee, 2022). Estas dos cuestiones están sin duda estrechamente relacionadas, aunque no son lo mismo.…”

“…Me refiero por supuesto no a términos absolutos, sino a un incremento de ideas políticas y sociales radicalizadas en una trayectoria progresiva en la que las posiciones se han ido desplazando hacia los extremos a lo largo de los últimos años. VéanseCasal & Rama (2021);Carothers & O'Donohue (2019);Klein (2020);Lee (2022).…”

American Partisans Vastly Underestimate the Diversity of Other Partisans' Attitudes

“…emocrats and Republicans despise one another (Iyengar et al 2019). The parties perceive their differences as irreconcilable (Lee 2022) and avoid interacting with each other (Carlson and Settle 2022). These patterns are troubling for democracy.…”

“…If Americans mistrust and shun their partisan opponents, it may undermine the norm of "legitimate" opposition and thwart the compromise necessary for policy-making (Hetherington and Rudolph 2015). Indeed, citizens' trust in one another and of outparty polticians is degrading (Lee 2022;Enders and Armaly 2019).…”