Abstract

Trust in institutions is a fundamental component of effective governance, democratic legitimacy, and social 
cooperation. Since 2010, institutional trust has experienced significant fluctuations across countries and 
governance systems, influenced by a combination of performance-related factors, political developments, economic 
conditions, and major societal shocks. This paper examines the evolution of trust in institutions from 2010 to the 
present, focusing on the conceptual foundations of institutional trust, the key drivers of trust formation and 
erosion, and the mechanisms through which institutions recover credibility following crises. The study identifies 
five principal determinants of institutional trust: perceived performance quality, transparency, corruption, 
exposure to crises, and media independence. It further analyzes the impact of major shocks, including political 
scandals, governance failures, anti-corruption reforms, public protests, and the COVID-19 pandemic, on trust 
trajectories across different institutional contexts. Through a comparative examination of liberal democracies, 
hybrid regimes, and non-democratic systems, the paper highlights the diverse ways in which institutional 
structures, governance quality, and socio-political environments shape public confidence. The findings 
demonstrate that trust is dynamic, context-dependent, and closely linked to perceptions of legitimacy, 
accountability, and effectiveness. The study concludes that strengthening institutional trust requires sustained 
commitments to transparency, responsiveness, anti-corruption measures, crisis preparedness, and citizen 
engagement. These factors are essential for enhancing governance resilience and fostering long-term public 
confidence in institutions.