ABSTRACT
Using a quota panel of the adult Italian population (N = 1,192), we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study to analyse how and why the COVID-19 crisis affected Italians' trust in institutions. Between May-June 2019 (before COVID-19) and April 2020 (the peak of the pandemic), trust in political institutions (political parties, parliament, and local administrations) and in super partes national institutions (the President of the Republic, the judiciary, and the police) increased, whereas trust in international institutions (the European Union and the United Nations) decreased. A mediation model showed that anxiety and collective angst were positively associated with seeking information about COVID-19 from institutional and relational sources. In turn, seeking information from institutional sources further increased trust in institutions, whereas seeking information from social media and friends did not. The same pattern held for trust in epistemic authorities (the national health care system, civil protection and scientists), which was measured only in the second wave. These results suggest that it is extremely important to pay attention to public communication strategies, as they play a crucial role in transforming individual and collective distress in times of crisis into trust in institutions, even net of the effect of information from relational sources. The strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, and directions for possible future research are suggested.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: We aimed to predict the favor for a technocratic government in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Method: We tested a multilevel mediated moderated model on the ResPOnsE COVID-19 data set (rolling cross-section design, quota sample of the Italian adult population, N = 8210, data collected from March 17 to June 16, 2021). Results: Subjective vulnerability to COVID-19 showed a positive relationship with trust in science and scientists, which, in turn, had a positive relationship with favor for a technocratic government, particularly among participants who had low trust in the Italian Parliament. The prevalence of COVID-19 (measured at Level-2, with data nested by day of data collection) also showed a positive association with favor for a technocratic government. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic may have jeopardized representative democracy: The objective and subjective threats it triggered favor trust in science and scientists that, when combined with a low level of trust toward political institutions, fosters the desire for a technocratic government. © 2023 The Authors. Social Science Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Southwestern Social Science Association.
ABSTRACT
Working with a wide quota sample of the Italian adult population, surveyed in the 5th wave of the CoCo (Consequences of COVID-19) project (N = 1,143), we developed and validated the COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy (CVH) Scale, composed of four 4-category items assessing participants' attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Structural equations modelling showed that the CVH Scale is unidimen-sional and invariant across participants' gender, age, area of residence, and perceived economic status. Moreover, the scale had good convergent validity. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the CVH Scale and potential avenues for further research. © 2023 Cises.