Trust in Elected Officials Plummets Worldwide as Faith in Police Surges

In a stark revelation about the state of modern democracy, citizens across the globe are losing faith in their elected representatives while simultaneously placing more trust in law enforcement and civil servants, according to groundbreaking research published this month in the British Journal of Political Science.

The comprehensive study, which analyzed over 5 million survey responses from 143 countries spanning six decades, reveals a concerning pattern: trust in parliaments has declined by approximately 9 percentage points across democratic nations since 1990, while trust in police forces has increased by 13 percentage points during the same period.

“The decline of public trust in political authorities is central to the challenges facing democratic governments in many countries today,” says Dr. Viktor Valgarðsson, the study’s lead author from the University of Southampton. “Low political trust tends to be associated with support for populist parties and leaders who rail against the political establishment. It also makes it harder for governments to respond to crises such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The research, unprecedented in its scope, examined surveys conducted between 1958 and 2019, uncovering a clear divide between how citizens view their elected officials versus unelected institutional authorities. The findings paint a particularly troubling picture for major democracies, with 36 nations – including the United States, France, Brazil, and Australia – showing significant declines in parliamentary trust.

Regional Variations

The study reveals notable regional differences in trust patterns. Latin American countries experienced rising trust levels until 2014, followed by a sharp decline. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region has shown more stability in institutional trust. Some nations have bucked the global trend entirely – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Ecuador, and New Zealand all showed increasing trust in their representative institutions.

In the United Kingdom, researchers found a gradual decline in trust for parliament and government over recent decades, with a brief uptick around the Brexit referendum. British trust in legal institutions and police has been on an upward trajectory since the 2008 financial crisis, following earlier declines.

Democratic Implications

The divergence between trust in elected versus unelected institutions raises concerns about democratic stability. While citizens maintain faith in implementing institutions like police and civil service, their waning confidence in elected representatives could create openings for less democratic governance.

Professor Will Jennings, study co-author, offers a more optimistic perspective: “Declining trust in democratic institutions isn’t inevitable. If it is something about the way democratic politics is practised that citizens distrust, perhaps those politics need to change.”

The research team emphasizes that support for democratic ideals remains strong among global populations, even as trust in democratic institutions declines. This paradox suggests potential for democratic renewal rather than inevitable decline.

Methodology and Scope

The study’s methodology represents a significant advance in understanding global trust trends, combining data from 3,377 surveys conducted by 50 different research projects. The researchers employed sophisticated statistical techniques, including Bayesian dynamic latent trait models, to uncover underlying patterns in the data.

The findings highlight the need for democratic societies to address growing skepticism toward elected officials while maintaining the positive developments in trust for implementing institutions. As democratic nations grapple with multiple challenges – from climate change to economic inequality – rebuilding trust in representative institutions may prove crucial for effective governance.

The research was supported by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust, with findings published in the February 2025 edition of the British Journal of Political Science.