Jellen Olivares-Jirsell

Research project: Is the amalgamation of populist and neoliberal ideologies correlated to not aggregate but cumulative detrimental levels of trust towards welfare states?

Abstract

Trust plays a vital role in democracy, impacting social dilemmas, policy acceptance, and decision-maker's willingness to propose bold policies. However, a growing distrust towards the state and global institutions is fuelled by anti-establishment sentiments. Populist and neoliberal ideologies contribute to this distrust, combining cultural and economic considerations and convincing citizens that the state is the problem rather than the solution. The coexistence of pervasive anti-establishment sentiments and the need for state interventions presents a challenge for liberal democracies in resolving social dilemmas, such as wealth redistribution in welfare states.

This project seeks to address this challenge by examining the correlation between the amalgamation of populist and neoliberal ideologies and the erosion of trust in welfare states. Previous research has shown that these ideologies are compatible and mutually reinforcing. This project seeks to find out if the coexistence of these ideologies may catalyse the loss of trust, contributing to anti-establishment sentiments by portraying the state as corrupt or burdensome. By focusing on their combined effects, this project aims to fill a gap in academic literature regarding the cumulative impact of these ideologies on public perceptions of state trustworthiness and wealth distribution.