Public confidence in democracy falls due to the handling of the pandemic

According to the Edelman barometer, lPublic trust in the governments that run the world’s leading democracies has plummeted to new lows over their handling of the pandemic.

Edelman’s report concluded that the trillions of dollars of stimulus spent by richer countries to prop up their economies during the pandemic failed to instill confidence in their populations.

For example in Japan only 15% of those surveyed believe they will be better off in five years, while most other democracies are around 20-40%. However, in China nearly two-thirds are optimistic about their economic future.

Regarding this situation, Edelman believes that higher levels of public confidence in China they were linked to a greater sense of predictability about health policy, as there is more coherence between what is said and what is done.

The growth of the public confidence of the population in various autocratic states, such as in China, increased significantly and it is not by chance. Edelman highlighted that the companies, thanks to their role in developing vaccines and adapting workplace practices, have retained strong levels of trust globally. But it holds them responsible for other ills.

Richard Edelman, leader of the consultancy, explained that the surveys, carried out among more than 36,000 people in 28 countries during November, show that “We really have a collapse of trust in democracies.”

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Germany, where the anti-vaccine movement is strong, analyzes the compulsory nature of immunization.

Photo: AP

The biggest losers in the last year were the institutions of Germany, which dropped 7 points to 46, Australia with 53 (-6), Netherlands with 57 (-6), South Korea with 42 (-5) and U.S with 43 (-5).

On the other hand, the confidence of citizens in institutions stood at 83% in China (+11), 76% in United Arab Emirates (+9) and 66% in Thailand (+5).

Companies, governments, NGOs and media

When Edelman refers to institutions, he speaks of companies, governments, NGOs and the media. Precisely on this last point, he revealed that 1 in 2 respondents see the government and the media as dividing forces in society: a 48% aimed against their Ggovernment and a 46% against mbye

Without naming the crack, the report described that there is a “vicious cycle of mistrust” fueled by the government and the media. “We find a world trapped in a vicious cycle of mistrust, fueled by a growing lack of faith in the media and government. Through misinformation and division, these two institutions are fueling the cycle and exploiting it for commercial and political gain,” he said.

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Pixabay

When asked about the business role, respondents responded that companies are not doing enough to address social problems: 52% to curb the cclimate change; 49% to decrease the deconomic inequality and 46% for an requalization of the labor force.

“We see an even greater expectation that business will lead as trust in government continues to spiral. But this is not a job that business can do alone. Business must work with all institutions to foster innovation.” and drive impact,” underscored from Edelman.

In addition, the 2022 Edelman Confidence Barometer highlighted three other forces that will undermine institutions in the future and further destabilize society:

• Excessive dependence on business. The government’s failure has created an over-reliance on business to fill the void, a job that private business was not designed to do.
• Mass class division. The global pandemic has widened the fissure that arose in the wake of the Great Recession. High-income people trust institutions more, while low-income people remain cautious.
• Leadership failure. Classic social leaders in government, media, and business have been discredited. Trust, once hierarchical, has become local and dispersed as people trust my employer, my colleagues, my family. Coinciding with this turmoil is a collapse of trust within democracies and a rise in trust within autocracies.