Young people trust governments less after exposure to an epidemic

What will be the political legacy of the coronavirus pandemic? A new study shows that epidemic exposure in an individual’s “impressionable years” (ages 18-25) has a persistent negative effect on trust in political institutions and leaders, especially in democracies. Combined with other evidence that trust is important for limiting the spread of infection, Cevat Giray Aksoy (King’s College London), Barry Eichengreen (Berkeley) and Orkun Saka (LSE) say this raises the spectre of a circular, self-reinforcing spiral in which poor public health policy leads to deeper distrust, further undermining its effectiveness.