Generalized loss of trust following political betrayal: Cross‐country evidence in the context of elections

Abstract This research investigates how perceptions of political betrayal —that is, the perceived violation of mutually known pivotal expectations by a political entity—shape political trust. We test a generalization hypothesis that the loss of trust might extend beyond the specific political entity (i.e., the one who betrayed) and generalize to others. Across three preregistered studies (one cross‐sectional and two longitudinal) in Germany, the UK, and the US ( N = 2136), we observe that perceptions of betrayal by one political entity is consistently associated with lower trust in that same entity, both cross‐sectionally and longitudinally. Additionally, we find evidence for two types of generalizations: assimilative and contrastive. Perceived betrayal by one figure often decreases trust in other political entities (presumably categorized within a similar category; i.e., assimilation ). Conversely, perceived betrayal sometimes increases trust in other political entities (most often political rivals, thus presumably categorized in different categories; i.e., contrast ). Lastly, we observe reverse effects from trust toward betrayal, indicating that trust can function as a buffer in the political context. Additional analyses could not identify any distinct or stable partisan effects in these dynamics. We discuss implications for future research and policymaking.