Enlightened trust: An examination of trust and distrust in governance – conditions, effects and remedies (TRUST)

This project aims to address trust and distrust in governance in the European context by focusing on three axes. First, it considers trust and distrust as distinct, equally relevant and mutually interrelated dimensions of the relations between citizens and various governance actors. Second, the proposal looks at trust and distrust and their complex interrelations as collective phenomena that are created and reproduced through practices, contestation, negotiation, interpretations between various actors across different societal arenas or fields. Third, the proposal takes account of the complexity of trust/distrust relations by taking a differential look at the various targets of trust and distrust situated at different levels of aggregation and in various arenas.
Objectives of projects are:

• To develop an interdisciplinary and multidimensional theoretical framework about the relationship between trust and distrust in governance complementing accounts from sociology, political science, psychology, ethics and philosophy,
• To produce a mapping of different cultures of trust and distrust and their development and interlinkages over time.
• To identify and develop best practices of trust building and dealing with distrust
• To proactively engage in dissemination and communication activities and develop recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.