Flags, National Identity, and Political Trust : Exploring the Effects of National Identity Priming in Denmark and Sweden

This study examines the impact of national identity primes on political trust, political distrust, and political mistrust in the context of two democracies with high trust in government: Denmark and Sweden. Using a survey experiment, the respondents were reminded of their national identity through images of their respective national flag where the flag was more or less prominently displayed. The study builds on social identity theory, the common in-group identity model, and Billig's (1995) theory of banal nationalism to underpin the psychological mechanisms behind the effects of the treatments. The findings show that the image with a more subtle display of the national flag decreased distrust and mistrust in politicians in Sweden, while also increasing trust in institutions. Neither treatment had a statistically significant effect in Denmark. By focusing on the political dimension of trust, this thesis highlights the role of national identity in shaping attitudes towards politicians and political institutions in a stable democracy such as Sweden.