Public Perceptions of Creeping Crises: Climate Change and Antimicrobial Resistance

ABSTRACT Creeping crises—gradually evolving, transboundary threats—challenge both governance capacity and legitimacy. While much research has focused on institutional response, less is known about how citizens perceive such crises. This article examines public perceptions of climate change and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using survey data from the Norwegian Citizen Panel. We find that both are regarded as more serious threats to the world than to individuals, with AMR perceived as more severe overall. Worry is the strongest predictor of perceived threat, highlighting its importance in shaping how citizens interpret complex, slow‐moving crises. Trust in parliament and generalized social trust play smaller roles, although institutional trust more strongly shapes perceptions of climate change, reflecting its political salience. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and managing perceptions alongside objective risks: understanding how citizens interpret creeping crises is vital for legitimacy, communication, and effective governance.