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International Trust and Public Opinion About World Affairs

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  • Paul R. Brewer
  • Kimberly Gross
  • Sean Aday
  • Lars Willnat

Abstract

This study argues that citizens base their opinions about world affairs in part on generalized beliefs about how much their nation can trust other nations. Using original data from a two‐wave panel survey and a cross‐sectional survey, we show that Americans hold stable, internally consistent, and largely pessimistic generalized beliefs about whether the United States can trust other nations. We find that social trust, political trust, partisanship, and age influence this form of trust, which we call international trust. We then demonstrate that international trust shapes whether Americans prefer internationalism to isolationism, perceive specific foreign nations as unfriendly and threatening, and favor military action against Iraq. The role of international trust in shaping opinion may be consistent with theories of low‐information rationality, but competing interpretations are also plausible.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul R. Brewer & Kimberly Gross & Sean Aday & Lars Willnat, 2004. "International Trust and Public Opinion About World Affairs," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(1), pages 93-109, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:48:y:2004:i:1:p:93-109
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0092-5853.2004.00058.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Bernd Schlipphak, 2013. "Action and attitudes matter: International public opinion towards the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 14(4), pages 590-618, December.
    2. Eric Jardine & Nathaniel Porter & Ryan Shandler, 2024. "Cyberattacks and public opinion – The effect of uncertainty in guiding preferences," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(1), pages 103-118, January.
    3. Benno Torgler & Bruno S. Frey & Clevo Wilson, 2007. "Environmental and Pro-Social Norms: Evidence from 30 Countries," Working Papers 2007.84, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    4. Benno Torgler & María A.García-Valiñas & Alison Macintyre, 2007. "Differences in Preferences Towards the Environment: The Impact of a Gender, Age and Parental Effect," CREMA Working Paper Series 2008-01, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    5. Bruno Arpino & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2020. "Democracy and Political Trust Before and After the Great Recession 2008: The European Union and the United Nations," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 395-415, April.
    6. Greg Chih-Hsin Sheen & Hans H. Tung & Chien-Huei Wu & Wen-Chin Wu, 2023. "WHO approves? Relative trust, the WHO, and China’s COVID-19 vaccines," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 499-521, July.
    7. Benno Torgler & María A. García Valiñas & Alison Macintyre, 2008. "Environmental Participation and Environmental Motivation," Working Papers 2008.95, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    8. Torgler Benno & Frey Bruno S. & Wilson Clevo, 2009. "Environmental and Pro-Social Norms: Evidence on Littering," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-41, April.
    9. Satoshi Machida, 2011. "Globalization and Citizens’ Support for Global Capitalism," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 27(2), pages 119-151, June.
    10. Michael Breen & Robert Gillanders, 2015. "Political Trust, Corruption, and Ratings of the IMF and the World Bank," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 337-364, March.
    11. Benno Torgler & María A.García-Valiñas & Alison Macintyre, 2008. "Justifiability of Littering: An Empirical Investigation," Working Papers 2008.59, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    12. Andrew Tracy & Amy Javernick-Will, 2020. "Credible Sources of Information Regarding Induced Seismicity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Benno Torgler & Maria A. Garcia-Valinas & Alison Macintyre, 2012. "Justifiability of Littering: An Empirical Investigation," Environmental Values, White Horse Press, vol. 21(2), pages 209-231, May.
    14. Paxton, Pamela & Knack, Stephen, 2008. "Individual and country-level factors affecting support for foreign aid," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4714, The World Bank.
    15. Benno Torgler, 2006. "Trust in International Organizations: An Empirical Investigation Focusing on the United Nations," CREMA Working Paper Series 2006-20, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    16. Andrew Tracy & Amy Javernick-Will & Abbie Liel, 2022. "Factors influencing public beliefs regarding the cause of induced earthquakes," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 114(1), pages 183-204, October.
    17. Wu, Sihong & Fan, Di, 2023. "Taking two to tango: A comparative nationalism view of cross-border acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(3).
    18. Kong, NGUYEN To Hong, 2021. "State-to-state Trust in Post-leadership Change: Case Study of China-Japan Relations, 2009-2019," OSF Preprints hdbcy, Center for Open Science.

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