scholarly journals Investigating the Relation of Functioning as A Determinant of Wellbeing to Political and Social Trust in Three Balkan Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-231
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Trust In Institutions ◽  
Balkan Countries ◽  
The Stability

The measurement of wellbeing, political trust in institutions and social trust provide important indicators of the welfare of nations, political legitimacy and the stability of democratic political systems, and a country’s political culture, respectively. In this paper, the relation of functioning as a determinant of wellbeing to political and social trust was investigated using 2012 European Social Survey (ESS) datasets of three Balkan countries: Albania, Bulgaria and Kosovo. This involves first examining the structure of functioning and assess the psychometric properties of the resulting scale (or subscales). Preliminary tests explored the statistically significant relations of functioning to the political and social trust items as well as the socio-demographic variables and the left/right self-placement scale. Only in the case of the Bulgarian dataset, EFA and CFA resulted in a unidimensional valid and reliable scale measuring functioning scale comprised of all the initial eight items. Although the analysis did not result in the same structure of functioning for the three Balkan countries, it did provide a reliable and valid scale in the cases of Bulgaria and Kosovo. This work could be extended to cover all participating countries of this Round of the ESS.

scholarly journals Distributive and Procedural Justice and Political Trust in Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schnaudt ◽  
Caroline Hahn ◽  
Elias Heppner
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Principles Of Justice ◽  
Democratic Systems ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research underlines that a political system's adherence to principles of distributive and procedural justice stimulates citizens' political trust. Yet, most of what is known about the relationship between justice and political trust is derived from macro-level indicators of distributive and procedural justice, merely presuming that citizens connect a political system's adherence to justice principles to their trust in political authorities and institutions. Accordingly, we still lack a clear understanding of whether and how individual perceptions and evaluations of distributive and procedural justice influence citizens' political trust and how their impact might be conditioned by a political system's overall adherence to principles of justice. In addition, previous research has implicitly assumed that the link between justice principles and political trust operates identically for all major political authorities and institutions, disregarding the possibility that citizens evaluate representative and regulative authorities and institutions on the basis of different justice criteria. Against this background, the aims of the present study are (1) to investigate the impact of individual evaluations of distributive and procedural justice on citizens' political trust, (2) to analyze to what extent the effects of justice evaluations on political trust depend on political systems' overall adherence to principles of distributive and procedural justice, and (3) to assess whether and in which ways the influence of justice evaluations differs for trust in representative and regulative authorities and institutions. Our empirical analysis covering more than 30,000 respondents from 27 European countries based on data from the European Social Survey (ESS) and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project demonstrates that (1) more positive evaluations of distributive and procedural justice foster citizens' political trust, that (2) the impact of justice evaluations on political trust is amplified in political systems in which the overall adherence to justice principles is compromised, and that (3) different facets of distributive and procedural justice evaluations exert varying effects on citizens' trust in representative as compared to regulative authorities and institutions. These findings entail important implications with regard to the relation between justice and political trust and the general viability of modern democratic systems.

scholarly journals New Evidence on Trust and Well-Being

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Helliwell ◽  
Haifang Huang ◽  
Shun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Different Types ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Gallup World Poll

Data from three large international surveys—the Gallup World Poll, the World Values Survey and the European Social Survey—are used to estimate income-equivalent values for social trust, with a likely lower bound equivalent to a doubling of household income. Second, the more detailed and precisely measured trust data in the European Social Survey (ESS) are used to compare the effects of different types of social and political trust. While social trust and trust in police are most important, there are significant additional benefits from trust in three aspects of the institutional environment: the legal system, parliament and politicians. The total well-being value of a trustworthy environment is estimated to be larger than that flowing from social trust alone. Third, the ESS data show that being subject to discrimination, ill-health or unemployment is much less damaging to those living in trustworthy environments. These resilience-increasing features of social trust hence lessen well-being inequality by channeling the largest benefits to those at the low end of the well-being distribution.

scholarly journals Who is set against migrants in Russia? Analyzing certain socio-demographic characteristics

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 99-125
Author(s):  
Nataliya S. Mastikova ◽  
Pavel V. Fadeev
Keyword(s):  
Negative Attitude ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Stability ◽  
High Level

This article analyzes the connection between the socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, education level, type of settlement, marital status) and attitudes towards migrants of the Russian people. The authors point out that, throughout the course of a decade (2006-2016), over 60% of respondents were negatively assessing the changes occurring in our country due to immigrant presence, which actualizes the need to study the group which bears the utmost negative attitude, with it being considered a latent threat to the stability of society. Based on analyzing contemporary scientific research, we know that in most studies socio-demographic variables are used in regression models, though they are introduced into equations with no initial theoretical assumptions – so any results attained are not discussed, but merely acknowledged. Thus, we have identified that the results of studies of the connection between socio-demographic characteristics and respondents’ attitudes towards migrants are controversial and largely dependent on factors of context (such as the country under examination, its cultural and historical specifics). Based on data from the European social survey (2018), while using a decision tree technique (CHAID), the connection between socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes towards migrants is analyzed with the goal of determining those groups of Russians that hold the most contempt for migrants. As it turns out, such a group is represented by women aged 60-69 with basic secondary education, residing in large cities or their suburbs. An assumption is made about this group of the population possibly being influenced by mass media, which is escalating an “immigration panic”. Overall the analysis shows that the connection between socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes towards migrants is not a constant pattern. The results and vector of this connection change depending on the year when the study was conducted, on the context, the political situation, as well as other factors. The only exception being the connection between education level and attitude towards immigrants: in all of the examined studies a high level of education was invariably associated with a positive attitude towards migrants. In conclusion, the potential of qualitative methods was assessed – them being a viable option for further studying the topic – as well as the media’s role in shaping the image of immigrants in the public mind.

scholarly journals Rebuilding Trust in Broken Systems? Populist Party Success and Citizens’ Trust in Democratic Institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene Mauk
Keyword(s):  
Political System ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Democratic Quality ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Populist Party

What effect does the recent rise of populist parties harnessing an anti-system rhetoric have on political trust? Will citizens become disenchanted with and lose trust in the political system, or could populist party success even stimulate a growth of political trust? Arguing that populist parties may well be conceived as a corrective force giving voice to and addressing citizen concerns about the established political system, this contribution hypothesizes that populist party success will increase political trust among the general public, especially in countries lacking democratic quality, with weak corruption control, and meagre government performance. Empirically, it combines ParlGov data with survey data from the European Social Survey (2002–2016) as well as aggregate data from the Varieties-of-Democracy project and the World Development Indicators to investigate how political trust has changed in relation to the growing success of populist parties and how democratic quality, corruption control, and government performance have moderated this relationship in 23 European democracies. Its main findings indicate that, at least in the short run, political trust increases rather than decreases following populist party success and that this increase in trust is most pronounced in political systems that lack democratic quality, struggle with corruption, and deliver only meager government performance.

Social Capital and the Development of Political Support in Europe

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Hooghe ◽  
Anna Kern
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Basic Assumption ◽  
Voluntary Associations ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The One ◽  
Democratic Norms

This chapter evaluates the claim that the decline of legitimacy is due to a decline of social capital. The idea that voluntary associations play an important role in establishing social cohesion and political support is a traditional insight in the field of political sociology. The basic assumption is that voluntary associations function as a training ground for democracy, where citizens involved acquire democratic norms and skills that they subsequently apply in their relation with the political system. If this argument is correct, political support should be at least partly influenced by citizens’ participation in civil society organizations. Using European Social Survey data from 2006 and 2012 the authors demonstrate that there is a clear and significant correlation between social involvement on the one hand and satisfaction with the working of democracy and political trust on the other, which largely survives the introduction of a range of control variables.

scholarly journals Mind This Gap, Too: Political Orientations of People with Disabilities in Europe

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Reher
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Political Interest ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Political Inequality ◽  
Political Orientations

Abstract People with disabilities constitute one of the largest minority groups in Europe, and yet our knowledge about how they relate to the political system remains limited. In addition to facing practical barriers such as inaccessible campaign material and polling stations, they often have fewer resources that facilitate and promote confidence and engagement in politics. Moreover, experiences of discrimination and low numbers of politicians with disabilities can generate feelings of disempowerment. Using European Social Survey data from 30 countries from 2002 to 2015, this study shows that people with disabilities have lower levels of internal and external efficacy, political trust and interest, and electoral participation. The disparities in internal efficacy and political interest disappear when accounting for education, income, employment, and social contact. Meanwhile, significant gaps in external efficacy, political trust, and turnout remain to be explained. Perceptions of discrimination strengthen the internal efficacy and political interest of citizens with disabilities but further decrease their external efficacy, political trust, and turnout. The study sheds light on a frequently overlooked dimension of political inequality, provides insights on several contributing factors, and highlights where further research is needed.

scholarly journals Measuring the trust in the European values study and the European social survey

Sociologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-439
Author(s):  
Milos Besic
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Trust ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study

In this paper, we compare the latent construct measurement of political and interpersonal trust in two researches: the European Values Study and the European Social Survey. The main goal was to estimate the validity of measuring the respective concepts. In order to achieve this goal, we conducted a number of Principal Component Analyses and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Additionally, we used multilevel regression modelling to test and compare the effect of socio-demographic variables on political and interpersonal trust in both researches. We identified that socio-demographic predictors had a similar effect on both types of trust. The paper is complemented with descriptive data that portray the differences among countries when it comes to interpersonal and political trust.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Age and Happiness Varies by Income

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimiter Toshkov
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Old Age ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe link between age and happiness has been the subject of numerous studies. It is still a matter of controversy whether the relationship is U-shaped, with happiness declining after youth before bouncing back in old age, or not. While the effect of age has been examined conditional on income and other socio-demographic variables, so far, the interactions between age and income have remained insufficiently explored. Using data from the European Social Survey, this article shows that the nature of the relationship between age and happiness varies strongly with different levels of relative income. People in the lowest decile of the income distribution experience a ‘hockey stick’: a deep decline in self-reported happiness until around age 50–55 and a small bounce back in old age. The classic U-curve is found mostly in the middle-income ranks. For people at the top of the income distribution, average happiness does not vary much with age. These results demonstrate the important role of income in moderating the relationship between age and happiness.

Defensive Citizenship in Europe: Definition and Measurement

2020 ◽  
pp. 147892992090699
Author(s):  
Izhak Berkovich
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Immigration Attitudes ◽  
The Stability

In this article, I define and measure the new phenomenon of defensive citizenship in Europe. The literature suggests that defensive citizenship engagement is related to attempts by entitled citizens to preserve their threatened interests. It has been on the rise worldwide, especially in Europe. Based on studies and reports on the phenomenon, I argue that defensive citizenship can be assessed among entitled citizens (those born in the country, whose both parents were born in the country) based on mistrust towards political institutions, anti-immigration attitudes and a challenging personal situation. The analysis, based on European Social Survey data, ranks European countries and uncovers concentrations of countries with high levels of defensive citizenship in Eastern Europe. I contend that this phenomenon has significant implications for the democratic functioning of European countries and the stability of the continent.

scholarly journals Patterns of Trust and Subjective Well-Being Across Europe: New Insights from Repeated Cross-Sectional Analyses Based on the European Social Survey 2002–2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Glatz ◽  
Anja Eder
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Institutional Trust ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Aggregate Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Effect

Abstract This paper offers elaborate analyses regarding the effects of social- as well as institutional trust as parts of social capital on subjective well-being (SWB) by using data from the European Social Survey, including 36 countries and eight time-points between 2002 and 2016. We analyze (1) The development of trust and SWB on the aggregate level; (2) The effect of trust on SWB on the individual cross-sectional level; and (3) The longitudinal and cross-sectional effect of trust on SWB on the aggregate level while considering control variables based on previous research. We observe a weak positive trend regarding social trust as well as SWB over time, but no significant change in institutional trust. However, trends are far from homogeneous across countries. In accordance to previous studies, we find a positive effect of social trust on SWB. This effect holds on the individual cross-sectional level for every participating country, but also on the longitudinal level. In view of institutional trust, we see a positive effect on SWB on the individual and aggregate cross-sectional level, but not over time. Thus, this study particularly sheds new light on this relation, indicating that it´s cross-sectional relation is due to confounding variables. Moreover, we observe no relation between economic growth and SWB after controlling for unemployment, but a positive effect of decreasing unemployment and inflation on SWB. Our data suggests that establishing an environment with high social trust across Europe would be rewarded with a happy society.

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