Activating European Citizens’ Trust in Times of Crisis and Polarization
Activating European Citizens’ Trust in Times of Crisis and Polarization is an open access book that elucidates the necessity of political trust and legitimacy in representative democracies. Political trust is a crucial yet underestimated element in Europe’s democratic systems. A trusting relationship between citizens and state institutions ensures the proper functioning of democratic systems, reduces transaction costs, and facilitates the justification of political decisions.
Without the commitment of a critical mass, democratic governments struggle to gain legitimacy among the populace. Typically, a stable relationship of trust between citizens and the state through political parties is essential in representative democracies. However, this is especially vital during periods of significant democratic change and turmoil, when democracies are experiencing flux.
This collection of contributions examines political trust and legitimacy in Europe using a novel conceptual framework—the ActEU conceptual triangle. This framework draws on citizens’ political attitudes, their political participation, and the representation of their political preferences to map and assess the decline of political trust and legitimacy in Europe.
Description
Activating European Citizens’ Trust in Times of Crisis and Polarization is an open access book that elucidates the necessity of political trust and legitimacy in representative democracies. Political trust is a crucial yet underestimated element in Europe’s democratic systems. A trusting relationship between citizens and state institutions ensures the proper functioning of democratic systems, reduces transaction costs, and facilitates the justification of political decisions.
Without the commitment of a critical mass, democratic governments struggle to gain legitimacy among the populace. Typically, a stable relationship of trust between citizens and the state through political parties is essential in representative democracies. However, this is especially vital during periods of significant democratic change and turmoil, when democracies are experiencing flux.
This collection of contributions examines political trust and legitimacy in Europe using a novel conceptual framework—the ActEU conceptual triangle. This framework draws on citizens’ political attitudes, their political participation, and the representation of their political preferences to map and assess the decline of political trust and legitimacy in Europe.
