CONTRUST
CONTRUST
CONTRUST is an ERC-funded (2027-2032) project examining whether, when, and how political trust shapes public support for major policy action. The project focuses on climate and the environment, redistribution and inequality, and crime prevention across European democracies.
Header image: Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Effects of Good Government in the City, Siena, c. 1338-39.
At A Glance
Funding
European Research Council (€1.5m) (Project # 101302732)
Project Period
2027-2032
Principal Investigator
Daniel Devine, University of Southampton
Research Areas
Political trust, policy support, public opinion
Overview
Research Questions
Political trust is often treated as a vital democratic resource, but we still know too little about its consequences. CONTRUST asks whether trust actually changes support for demanding policies, and under what conditions it does so.
Approach
Over the course of the five years, the project will develop new theory and measures, testing it through a range of methods embedded in an original three-wave panel survey in six countries, on harmonised panel data, and through collaborative meta-studies.
Contribution
CONTRUST develops a new framework for understanding trust as a relationship between citizens, political actors and institutions, and specific policy tasks. It will produce new evidence, open resources, and collaborative analyses for the wider research community.
Latest
January 2027
The project will officially begin.
Recruitment
The project will recruit two postdoctoral positions for three years each. If you are interested, please do get in contact even if the adverts aren’t up yet.