Process / pipelinePolitical Trust

Institutional Trust Scale

The Institutional Trust Scale measures an individual's confidence and trust in formal political and social institutions including parliament, courts, police, media, and civil service. Distinct from generalized interpersonal trust, institutional trust reflects belief in the legitimacy, fairness, and effectiveness of formal organizations that structure governance and public life. Developed in political science by scholars including David Easton and Marc Hetherington, it is a key indicator of democratic health and governance legitimacy.

Open in MethodMindSoonVideoSoon

Read the full method

Members only

Sign in with a free account to read this section.

Sign in

Sources

  1. Hetherington, M. J. (2005). Why trust matters: Declining political trust and the demise of American liberalism. Princeton University Press. link
  2. Norris, P. (Ed.). (2011). Public sentinel: News media and governance reform. World Bank Publications. link
  3. Easton, D. (1975). A re-assessment of the concept of political support. British Journal of Political Science, 5(4), 435-457. DOI: 10.1017/S0007123400008309

Related methods

Referenced by

ScholarGateInstitutional Trust Scale (Trust in Political and Social Institutions Scale). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/political-sociology/institutional-trust-scale