Doctoral Dissertation Research: Dimensions of Trust and Risk, and Their Effects on Civic Participation

This research explores how different types of trust are related to people’s willingness to take risks, and tests whether the interplay between trust and risk taking is related to how people think about and participate in the civic system. While existing scholarship emphasizes the role of trust in shaping civic attitudes and behavior, research often overlooks how one’s willingness to take risks can vary across different aspects of life, and neglects how risk taking might affect the extent to which trust affects civic participation. By systematically investigating how trust and risk interact to shape civic attitudes and behavior, this project aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of civic engagement, for example, why individuals might trust the government but remain skeptical of the electoral process, or why people continue to participate in civic activities despite increasing distrust in civic elites and institutions over time. Leveraging original data collected during the November 2024 presidential election, this project examines the relationship between different types of trust and risk taking, hypothesizing that the extent to which people rely on trust may depend on how willing they are to take certain risks. Whereas individuals who are less willing to take certain risks may rely more on trust when deciding whether to vote or engage in other civic activities, those who are more willing to take certain risks may rely less on trust when deciding whether to participate. Combined with complementary experimental data, this project provides robust evidence on the roles of trust and risk taking in shaping civic attitudes and behavior. These data will also be used to develop a novel and validated measure of civic risk taking. Findings from this research help advance interdisciplinary scholarship while offering policymakers, scholars, and society guidance for mitigating deficits in trust, enhancing civic participation, and improving democratic health. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.