Authors: Timo Peeters, Eliane Smits van Waesberghe, Amella Mesic, Ron van Wonderen
Source: Verwey-Jonker Instituut
From personal affront to a breach of trust
Narratives of citizens with a lack of institutional trust
In this study, we have given the floor to citizens without trust in the democratic constitutional state and its institutions. They represent a part of Dutch society that has until now been heard and understood too rarely. Who are they and what stories do they have to tell? These are questions that are not only important from a theoretical viewpoint, but from a social viewpoint as well. After all, democracy never works equally well for everyone. It is a machine that needs constant adjusting and is never finished. It means that you may expect a democracy to be receptive to critical voices. Furthermore, a lack of trust can, in some cases and under particular circumstances, turn into behaviour harmful to democracy or the rule of law, for example when it translates into violence.
Image credits
Header image: Photo by Robin Sommer on Unsplash