Germans’ trust has been shaken: both their trust in politics and their trust in their fellow citizens has declined significantly in recent years – exacerbated by the COVID crisis.
Social trust also stands and falls with politics: the design of institutions and policies has a significant influence on trust in politics and even on people’s trust in each other.
Our policy paper ‘Lack of trust as a challenge of our time – how a reform of basic social security can help’ identifies characteristics and factors that make policies and institutions trust-promoting, and examines how basic social security can be designed to exploit its great potential for trust.
Key findings
Germany is in a crisis of confidence: both trust in politics and trust between people, known as the climate of trust, have declined in recent years.
Yet, trust is essential for a successful and resilient democracy and society: from voter turnout to economic growth, high levels of trust are associated with a multitude of positive aspects.
The design of political measures and institutions can strengthen both trust in politics and the climate of trust. To do so, they must above all be fair and equitable.
Social security in particular has the potential to significantly promote the climate of trust through fair and equitable design.
Elements of basic social security could be designed to be more equitable and thus more conducive to building trust. The traffic light coalition government’s citizen’s income plans are a step in the right direction in many respects, but often do not go far enough to bring about profound change.
