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Why national and international legitimacy beliefs are linked: Social trust as an antecedent factor

Author

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  • Lisa Maria Dellmuth

    (Stockholm University)

  • Jonas Tallberg

    (Stockholm University)

Abstract

Recent public opinion research has established an empirical regularity of unusual stability and strength: citizen beliefs in the legitimacy of national and international institutions are highly linked. The dominant interpretation of this link holds that citizens draw on their perceptions of national institutions as a heuristic when forming opinions about international institutions. This article proposes an alternative mechanism, privileging social trust as an antecedent factor contributing to both national and international legitimacy beliefs. Using original survey data on citizen attitudes toward four international institutions in three countries, the article provides evidence for social trust as an antecedent factor, while granting no support for the dominant interpretation. The article suggests three broader implications: social trust has more far-reaching consequences for international cooperation than previously understood; political efforts to affect the legitimacy of international institutions are constrained by individual predispositions; and a comparative approach is central to the study of public attitudes toward international institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa Maria Dellmuth & Jonas Tallberg, 2020. "Why national and international legitimacy beliefs are linked: Social trust as an antecedent factor," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 311-337, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:revint:v:15:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s11558-018-9339-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11558-018-9339-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Bernd Schlipphak & Paul Meiners & Osman Sabri Kiratli, 2022. "Crisis affectedness, elite cues and IO public legitimacy," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 877-898, October.
    4. Magdalena Proczek & Ewa Osuch-Rak, 2021. "The Effectiveness of Development Aid – EU as a Leader?," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 4), pages 583-600.
    5. Piotr Cichocki & Piotr Jabkowski, 2023. "Response scale overstretch: linear stretching of response scales does not ensure cross-project equivalence in harmonised data," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 3729-3745, August.
    6. Liu, Ning & Bao, Guoxian & Wu, Shaolong, 2023. "Social implications of Covid-19: Its impact on general trust, political trust, and trust in physicians in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).

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