Exploring the Geography of Discontent and its Impact on Political (Dis-)Trust

Recent literature has advanced the idea that measurements and conceptualisations of political trust, at its lower end, should distinguish between distrust and mistrust (Bertsou, 2019; Devine et al., 2020). This paper addresses the fundamental question following this distinction: What are the origins of political distrust, distinct from mistrust? It motivates insights from the emerging literature on the 'geography of discontent' to explain the formation of political distrust in some places rather than others. Contrary to the prevailing narrative about the perils of low trust for the survival of democracy, this paper argues that democracy's deeply rooted concern with political trust lies with distrust not mistrust, with cynicism not scepticism (Carstens, 2023). While sceptical mistrust might sometimes be warranted (Norris, 2022), allowing for ongoing evaluation and potential future trust given improved performance, cynical distrust represents citizens' fixed conviction of political institutions and actors' inherent untrustworthiness. Thus, cynical political distrust represents a lasting rupture between citizens and political institutions and actors, posing a threat to democratic stability. The central hypothesis in this paper posits that the geography of discontent plays a significant role in the formation of cynical distrust. Relying on social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) and literature arguing that citizens experiencing their places' socioeconomic decline harbour sentiments of neglect, abandonment, and biases against such 'left-behind' places (de Lange et al., 2023; Huijsmans, 2022; McKay et al., 2023; Munis, 2020), this paper contends the importance of place-based attitudes leading to cynical distrust. It hypothesises that being 'stuck' in a declining place, not receiving its fair share, not only decreases political trust but also breeds cynicism and the feeling that politicians do not care for people in such places. Utilising geo-coded survey data from the British Election Study Internet Panel, this paper seeks to uncover the relationship between place-based grievances, place resentment, and the erosion of political trust, specifically focusing on the manifestation of cynical distrust. This study contributes to the evolving 'geography of discontent' literature by employing geo-coded survey data to discern citizen-level attitudinal discontent, adding nuance to existing research that predominantly focuses on objective economic indicators and aggregate-level election results. In addressing the workshop's overarching theme, this research aligns with the current re-evaluation of political trust assumptions. I contribute to the unravelling of the prevailing notion that all forms of low trust uniformly jeopardise democracy, emphasising the distinctive dangers posed by cynical distrust. By exploring the origins of ruptures between citizens and political institutions and actors, this paper offers insights into safeguarding the democratic fabric in times of contestation to democracy from populist radical-right parties. In conclusion, this paper critically explores the place-based origins of citizens' (cynical dis)trust, contributing valuable insights to the workshop's objective of advancing theoretical and empirical knowledge on political trust, democracy, and trustworthiness.