Political Trust and Democracy in the Netherlands

Across many Western democracies, public trust in political institutions is under strain. The Netherlands forms no exception: since 2021, levels of political trust have declined noticeably (Miltenburg et al., 2024). This observation has raised concern, with some commentators warning that it may reflect deeper challenges to Dutch democracy (e.g., Van Reybrouck, 2016; Tjeenk Willink, 2022). But to what extent is this the case? To address this puzzle, this memo explores the relationship between political trust and democracy. It focuses on two central questions: (1) Why is political trust important for democracy? And (2) how has the Netherlands fared in this respect over time? Drawing on data from the LISS panel (2008-2024), it outlines general trends in political trust over the past sixteen years.