Surveying the Effect of COVID-19 on Trust

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During periods of crisis, trust and solidarity help people come together to solve difficult problems and unify behind solutions. Alternatively, low levels of trust may hamper the effectiveness of crisis responses and threaten the integrity of institutions. This project surveys thousands of Americans to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic and broader climate shape feelings of trust and community solidarity. The project will study how crises affect trust and solidarity, and in turn how trust and solidarity influence how people think and behave. The survey will ask Americans a broad range of questions designed to understand their perceptions of the pandemic and attitudes towards the decisions made to combat its effects. Findings from the project will not only help decision-makers to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but will also inform future responses to public health crises. This project will study how the pandemic has shaped social trust and community solidarity using three new waves of the COVID-19 Social Change Survey (CSCS). First fielded in March 2020, the CSCS drew a nationally representative sample of 8,000 Americans, oversampling individuals over age 55. The survey so far has included four waves pulled from the initial respondents. This new phase of the survey will involve three new waves, combining re-contacts with additional respondents to produce nationally representative samples of approximately 5,000 individuals. Additional waves are planned for April/May 2021, October/November 2021, and October/November 2022. Findings from the project will inform sociological theories of institutions, communities, and social trust. The project will also provide an interactive data tool that can be used by the public, by students, and by other researchers.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.