Bragina E. V.

№ 1, 2024

• Factors of Social Trust in Europe and Russia

  . The article analyzes the factors of generalized social trust in the modern states. The authors rely on the “up bottom” approach, which assumes that trust in political institutions has a significant impact on social trust, while also accounting for socio-economic factors.

  The research study of the modern European states that employed regression analysis of the sociological data from the World Values Survey and Eurobarometer shows that political trust continues to have a positive effect on the level of social trust. However, economic development and low levels of social stratification are equally important. A potentially important new factor is the increase in trust in urban communities, while the presence or absence of the communist past has lost its influence on social trust.

  The authors examine the case of Russia separately due to the specifics of political trust in personalist presidential regimes, Russia’s longer exposure to communism, as well as the modern increase in the level of political trust, which radically exceeds the level of social trust. Based on the comparative study of sociological trends and factors of social trust in the country, they document the gradual development of a situation where social trust is inversely correlated with political trust. They tend to explain this phenomenon by the exaggerated importance of the personal and public security agenda, which negatively affects social trust, while simultaneously increases the demand for political trust. Socio-economic factors in Russia play a limited role, but can resume their influence during periods of reduced social tensions. According to the authors’ conclusion, given the current political system, the potential for increase in social trust in the Russian Federation is limited.

  DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2024-112-1-136-163

  Pages: 136-163