Does Political Trust Foster or Hinder Volunteering? A Longitudinal Investigation in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Volunteering plays a growing role in supporting community resilience in times of crisis. This paper takes a closer look at the role of political trust for volunteering, distinguishing between trust in local and national government. We conduct secondary analysis of a large-scale longitudinal social survey in the United Kingdom (three timepoints, N = 5,039), to estimate a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model to assess the relationships between political trust and volunteering over time. Results reveal a positive link at the between-person level between volunteering and local but not national trust (random intercepts). At the within-person level (cross-lagged paths), an increase in local trust is related to a greater likelihood of volunteering 3 months later. Moreover, an increase in national trust is related to a lower likelihood of volunteering. We highlight implications for initiatives to promote civic engagement.