Democracy Under Stress: How Crises and the Government's Response Affect Political Trust and Satisfaction

Crises put democratic systems under significant stress, challenging political trust and satisfaction with the government. This paper examines how the direct consequences of crises and the effects of government-imposed policies shape these attitudes, both independently and interactively. Using a laboratory experiment, I expose participants to controlled scenarios that simulate crises of varying severity and government responses that vary in restrictiveness. To better understand the social dynamics at play, the experiment also incorporates information on how these effects are unevenly distributed across social groups, highlighting the role of fairness in shaping perceptions and attitudes. In examining the interplay between crisis severity, government responses, and perceptions of fairness, the paper aims to shed light on the conditions under which political trust and satisfaction with democracy are most vulnerable. By disentangling the relative influence of crisis impacts and policy responses, the research provides a framework for understanding how crises and their management affect democratic legitimacy. These findings will contribute to ongoing debates on crisis governance, political trust, and inequality in democratic societies.