(Dis-)trusting Civic Institutions Across Generations AGI [Video]

Insights from the United States and Germany

Speaker: Frank Reichert, DAAD/AGI Research FellowModerator: Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of the Society, Culture, & Politics Program, AGI

In many countries, the apparent support for populist leaders, parties, and policies has raised concerns about democratic citizenship and resilience. Particular attention has been directed toward younger generations who, in large numbers, supported political parties rallying in favor of antidemocratic and illiberal policies in recent elections, including in the United States and Germany. This has baffled stakeholders and academics who expected a generational change leading toward increasing support for liberal policies. This webinar takes institutional (dis-)trusts as a starting point to develop a typology of individuals’ trust in civic institutions, such as courts, the police, political parties, governments, or the media. Using nationally representative data from the United States and Germany, this presentation will demonstrate that distinct patterns of trust and distrust in civic institutions seen among adults today were already visible among adolescents two …