The Trust Hub offers a space to interact with data from social surveys on public trust in individuals and institutions central to public policy, with a particular focus on Europe. The data is collected and prepared by The Policy Institute at King’s College London.
The PERITIA Survey on Trust in Expertise
A central part of PERITIA’s empirical collection of data was a study carried out by The Policy Institute to explore trust in expertise informing policy decisions in Europe. The analysis was based on survey data from over 12,000 people and include questions on public perceptions on climate change, Covid-19 and public institutions mediating expert advice.
The survey was conducted in the UK, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Italy and Germany, drawing on the proprietary online panel of Savanta in the UK and similar panels in their network in the other countries. The six countries were selected to reflect a range of different contexts across factors such as location within Europe, population size, GDP levels, political structure and levels of trust in institutions, as measured in other studies.
Key findings
Technical Note
This survey was conducted drawing on the proprietary online panel of Savanta in the six countries. Quotas were set to ensure sufficient responses within each country in terms of age, gender, region, education, and income. Once data collection was complete, weights were applied to observations to create a sample reflective of the population in age, gender, region, education, and income. Sample sizes were: 2,017 in Germany; 2,030 in Ireland; 2,044 in Italy; 2,045 in Norway; 2,168 in Poland; and 2,042 in the UK. Data were collected directly from respondents via a self-completed online survey. Fieldwork dates ranged from 4th-19th January 2022.
Discussing PERITIA’s Survey Results
On 20 June 2022, PERITIA invited researchers, policymakers, and media representatives to the presentation of results from survey data on public attitudes towards national governments, science, and media across six European countries: Germany, the UK, Ireland, Poland, Italy, and Norway. Participants discussed what the collected data tells us about how people relate to science and scientific experts, with a special focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and climate research.
The Policy Institute
The Trust Hub is created by The Policy Institute at King’s College London as part of the PERITIA consortium. The Policy Institute works to solve society’s challenges with evidence and expertise. It combines the rigour of academia with the agility of a consultancy and the connectedness of a think tank. Its research draws on many disciplines and methods, making use of the skills, expertise and resources of not only the institute, but the university and its wider network too.
