Germany United?: Trust in Democratic Institutions Thirty Years after Unification. Issue 1 (1st March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Campbell, Ross
• Is Part Of: German politics and society. Volume 41:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2023-03-01
• Subjects: democratic institutions -- east-west differences -- political culture -- political systems -- trust -- unification; Germany -- Civilization -- Periodicals; Germany -- Politics and government -- 1945-1990 -- Periodicals; Germany -- Politics and government -- 1990- -- Periodicals; 943.005
• DOI: 10.3167/gps.2023.410101
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1558-5441

Abstract

Abstract: In the aftermath of unification, studies consistently uncovered differences in trust between citizens of the east and west of Germany. This article examines if this remains the case. It evaluates the trends and individual-level drivers of trust from 1984 to 2018 using data from the German General Social Survey (allbus ) showing, first, that Germans are cautiously trusting of institutions, trust is more extensive than at any point since unification, and the differences between the east and west have narrowed; and, second, that trust is shaped by factors that are broadly similar between the two parts of the country. Multivariate models and post-estimation analyses show that trust is steeped in a variety of phenomena, some of which provide it with resilience and durability. The study rejects suggestions that Germany is suffering from a legitimacy crisis and concludes that the project of national integration is more complete than has previously been thought.