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Crisis of confidence

-August 10, 2004-

International GfK survey on the confidence people have in political and businessleaders and organizations

Nuremberg, 10 August 2004 – It is bad news for politicians and their imagein Europe as well as in the USA. GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide questioned peoplein 19 European countries and the USA and found that the majority of the approx.1,000 respondents in each country believed that politicians were not trustworthy.Managers of big companies and journalists fared little better in the survey,while teachers and doctors proved the real champions when it comes to the issueof trust.
In all of the countries where GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide carried out the survey,the majority of respondents indicated that they trusted teachers and doctorsmore than any of the other professions listed. The armed forces, police and theclergy come next and are seen as trustworthy by the majority of people in mostof the countries surveyed. However, in Russia, Romania and the Czech Republic,the image of the police is not quite as good. Although positive, trust in theclergy in the Czech Republic, Spain, France and Belgium is below average.
Overall, managers and political, social and commercial organizations are regardedparticularly favourably in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Turkey, where the outcomewas above average. Hungarians, Greeks and the French are particularly criticalof their leaders.

Politicians: the least trustworthy

Only one in six respondents in the 20 countries surveyed believes that politiciansare trustworthy. The image of politicians is best in the Netherlands, Turkey,Spain and Switzerland, where three in ten citizens said they trusted their politicalleaders. Politicians have a particularly bad reputation in Germany, Poland andItaly, where fewer than one in ten people expressed a positive view. The situationis little better in the Czech Republic, France and Russia. Around one in tenrespondents in these countries thought that politicians could be trusted.

GfK Trust Index: Politicians have the worst reputation

Indexul de incredere GfK Mai 2004	Politicieni	Managerii marilor companii	Jurnalişti	Avocaţi	Preoţi	Poliţişti	Cadre militare	Medici	Profesori
Austria	15	34	35	55	66	76	62	91	76
Belgia	25	45	56	49	48	73	56	89	82
Danemarca	26	60	25	61	79	85	60	81	76
Finlanda	24	52	43	72	76	90	83	92	84
Franţa	12	33	31	47	38	63	63	86	78
Germania	6	18	36	62	67	78	68	82	76
Grecia	11	40	43	31	61	60	67	78	80
Italia	9	31	28	33	51	79	72	76	66
Olanda	32	35	37	60	57	74	70	91	90
Spania	28	37	56	46	36	73	59	82	81
Suedia	24	43	32	82	67	86	67	94	89
Elveţia	29	26	39	56	51	80	62	85	78
Marea Britanie	16	34	19	53	69	76	75	86	85
EUROPA DE VEST	15	31	34	51	55	74	67	83	78
Republica Cehă	10	27	46	52	42	49	64	89	83
Ungaria	14	32	26	52	44	55	54	81	75
Polonia	6	21	58	41	56	58	69	74	79
România	18	47	68	54	77	49	82	77	85
EUROPA CENTRALĂ	11	32	55	47	59	54	70	78	81
Rusia	12	27	31	58	57	28	51	70	78
Turcia	30	54	47	63	71	76	91	87	92
USA	17	32	41	39	72	80	79	84	86
TOTAL	16	32	38	49	62	67	70	81	82

* Level of trust in selected professions (Share of those choosing answers 3 or4 out of scale
from 1 to 4, where 1 means “distrust a lot”, 2 means “distrusta little”, 3 means “trust a little”
and 4 means “trust a lot”)

The great and the good in management and journalism: distrusted by the majorityof people
The verdict on managers of big companies was not quite as harsh. Three in tenpeople said they trusted them. However, only in Denmark, Finland and Turkeydid over fifty per cent of respondents believe managers to be trustworthy.In Germany and Poland, business leaders were generally given poor marks, withonly around one in five considering them trustworthy.
Many people in Europe and the USA also doubt the trustworthiness of journalists.More than six in ten respondents expressed their doubts. However, the levelof trust in journalists was above average in Romania, Poland, Spain and Belgium.In the UK, Denmark and Italy people are particularly distrusting of journalists.
The attitude towards lawyers is divided in the truest meaning of the word.For each citizen who trusts lawyers, there is one who does not. Lawyers areheld in high regard especially in Sweden and Finland. In Greece, Italy andthe USA most people do not trust them.

The survey
GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide uses the Trust Index to establish the trust peoplehave in professionals such as lawyers, journalists, the clergy, teachers, managers,medics, the armed forces, politicians and the police. In April and May 2004,GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide questioned a total of 20,818 respondents in 19European countries and the USA. A similar survey was carried out six monthsearlier. However, this first survey only included doctors, journalists, lawyers,the clergy, managers and politicians.