Jakob Frateur, researcher for WP#5 on Crisis, Governance and Trust, participated in the annual conference of the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies.

His presentation focused on the impact of intergovernmental consultation on citizens’ political trust during times of crisis. Drawing on original survey data, the research team found that when governments engage in consultation before making decisions on crisis-related measures, it leads to increased trust in the government level that initiates the consultation and makes the final decision. This effect was observed across all levels of government and for various types of measures. However, the effect becomes negative when citizens already have a high level of trust in that government. The study also identified differences in the effects depending on the type of federal system, though no distinctions were observed between unitary and federal systems. Lastly, the research revealed that the effect of consultation is weaker among older citizens who are strongly attached to the government level initiating the consultation.

The presentation can be viewed here.