In God we trust…and Caesar too? Evaluating the link between religiosity and trust in government

Bibliographic Data

ID17547853
AuthorsNicholas Creel (0000-0001-6461-8203, Georgia College & State University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume42
Issue9/10
Pages795-815
Publication date2021-08-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Sociology and Social Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0144-333X • E-ISSN: 1758-6720
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/ijssp-06-2021-0156
OpenAlexW3194303550
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited52

Purpose The study aims to establish that religiosity has a positive link with government trust, making the secularization trend all the more likely to further erode this already fragile resource. Design/methodology/approach Through the use of data from the World Values Survey and European Social Survey the link between religiosity and trust in government is examined. Findings Religiosity and trust in government are positively linked in aggregate data. Research limitations/implications The analysis is based on aggregated data, not individual countries, and religiosity is a complex concept to measure. Practical implications Secularization will have a long-term negative effect on government trust. Low levels of trust in government in the West are likely here to stay, or even worsen, as populations continue to secularize. Social implications With less trust in government, it will be more difficult to govern effectively. Originality/value The author has not yet seen a full test on how secularization will impact trust in government. In fact, this study makes clear that the trend goes a long way explaining why trust in government has been falling in the developed world for decades

General Social Survey · Government (linguistics) · Originality · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Religiosity · Secularization · Social capital · Social science · Social trust · Sociology · Value (mathematics) · World Values Survey · Law · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology

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