In politics, there is a concept known as “anomie”, which defines a belief among people that moral standards are declining and society is disintegrating. Research from the Université Libre de Bruxelles suggests that this may explain why people with low socioeconomic status generally trust politics and politicians less than those with higher status.

The research took place in the Belgian region of Wallonia, which is well known for its economic difficulties. The researchers focused on the notion of “anomie” and the belief that trust and moral standards are eroding in society, with this undermining social fabric. The results suggest that working class people tend to believe there is more “anomie” in society, which in turn results in them trusting politicians less.

Social decay

The researchers believe that this process of “anomie”, and its importance to trust in politics, has not really been studied. The results suggest that the notion of political trust goes much further than simply evaluating what politicians do and say.

Instead, it is also underpinned by the way in which people perceive society as a whole and whether they believe it works or not. If there is a sense that moral standards or trust more broadly are declining then this will often coincide with declining trust in politics generally.

It’s also important to note that this sense of “anomie” tends to be higher among working class people, who are more likely to believe that social fabric is disintegrating and that society is failing. In other words, the researchers believe that the way in which people believe in society to function efficiently and fairly underpins, or undermines, trust in politics and politicians, and that this is true regardless of how the government actually performs.