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Broken Trust. Confidence Gaps and Distrust in Latin America
Paolo Parra Saiani1, Enrico Ivaldi2,3, Andrea Ciacci3,4
1Department of Political Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Social Indicators Research
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Political distrust is high in Latin America, impacting governance and public services. A new index reveals a generalized increase in distrust across the region, particularly in 2017-2018.
Area of Science:
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Economics
Background:
- Latin American societies exhibit lower political trust compared to global averages.
- Low institutional trust correlates with governance challenges, social instability, and economic issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct a Latin American Distrust Index (LADI).
- To measure perceived institutional distrust and its trends in Latin America from 2008 to 2018.
Main Methods:
- Utilized subjective data from Latinobarómetro surveys.
- Employed a quantitative, partially non-compensatory aggregative approach: the Adjusted Mazziotta and Pareto Index.
Main Results:
- A widespread increase in distrust was observed in 2017 and 2018 across multiple Latin American nations.
- Countries with stronger rule of law reported better perceptions of democratic functioning.
Conclusions:
- The LADI provides a valuable metric for understanding institutional trust dynamics in Latin America.
- Findings highlight the recent surge in distrust and the mitigating role of established rule of law in democratic perception.
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