How can institutions better explain political trust than social capital does? Ylva Noren Bretzer Department of Political Science University of Gothenburg Box 711 505 30 GOTHENBURG SWEDEN E-MAIL:
[email protected] Prepared for delivery at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association Meeting, August 29 - September 1. Copyright by the American Political Science Association. Ylva Noren Bretzer, University of Gothenburg ! APSA 2002 Abstract Sweden is an excellent environment to set out a test in: if there's any place we should find a relationship between political trust and social capital it would be here. Having had the last wars at the beginning of the 1800s, Sweden has been a very fertile ground for active popular movements and a vibrant civil society. The crucial question today is, whither there is a connection between lowered political trust in society and activities in these movements and associations. The article examines Robert D. Putnam's claim that social capital spurs the [political] trust in society, but also tests a counter claim. That is, only when we find trustworthy judicial institutions, practicing just and fair procedures, the citizens can relax and feel secure enough to devote time to develop networks of social capital and trust. The tests are carried out on basically three different levels: national, local and on aggregate municipal. The results are proving that in terms of interpersonal trust, Putnam is right. Persons having a higher trust in other people, are also more likely to carry higher political trust. In terms of associational membership and activism, social capital does not explain political trust.