Public confidence in national and supranational institutions: the impact of materialist and post-materialist values

Abstract

Advanced industrialized societies are undergoing a change that alters individual values, beliefs and behavior. Building on the theories of changing values articulated by Ronald Inglehart, the thesis hypothesizes that the divide between materialist and post-materialist values has significant implications for public confidence in national and supranational institutions. The study uses data from the World Values survey to test whether and how individual materialist and post-materialist values affect confidence in the national government and the European Union. The results suggest that individuals with materialist values have more confidence in both national and supranational political institutions, while post-materialism is negatively associated with trust in the institutions. Besides, trust in the national government is positively associated with confidence in the EU and compared with individual values it has a stronger impact on public confidence in the EU.