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Questions about political trust have been thrust centre-stage in recent decades as scholars in political science and cognate disciplines have been worried by its gradual yet steady decline in many established democracies. At the same time, recent developments such as the resurgence of populism, the challenges posed by climate change, and crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, have forced us to confront the need for cooperation between citizens and governments and, in turn, the vital role of trust in facilitating such cooperative links. In this context, the purpose of this Research Topic is to bring together a collection of works pushing the boundaries of thought on political trust. This introductory essay outlines each of the contributions and the ways in which they help us better understand trust by answering three related questions: 1. How should we conceive of trust and distrust in politics, and are there any other conditions that need identification and measurement? 2. What are the key factors contributing to citizens’ trust judgments? 3. What are the consequences of trust for effective governance?

The first coalition since the Second World War is itself an innovation at Westminster. But it also came to power committed to an ambitious programme of constitutional reform – including fixed-term parliaments, directly elected mayors and local police commissioners, and the wider use of referendums. Could any of these changes reverse the long-term decline in public trust in government?

Publication based on research carried out in the framework of the European Union Democracy Observatory (EUDO) of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute. The journal issue has been produced in the framework of the PIREDEU Project, one of the projects carried out by the EUDO Public Opinion Observatory. Researchers have paid little attention to the way citizens evaluate different electoral systems. This reflects the limited knowledge citizens are presumed to have about alternative electoral arrangements. However, the establishment of a legislature under new electoral rules creates conditions in which citizens can make more informed judgements. Such a situation occurred with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, elected under the Additional Member system. Using data collected in 1999 and 2003, we consider Scottish voters’ reactions to the new electoral rules. We examine how voters evaluated various features and outcomes of the rules, the structure of voters’ attitudes, and which features and outcomes of the rules were decisive in shaping overall support for plurality and proportional voting systems. 1. Citizens and electoral rules 2. Research questions 3. Debates about electoral systems 4. Data and measures 5. Results 6. Conclusion Acknowledgements Appendix 1 Question wording and coding of variables Dependent variables Endogenous variables Allocation