Effects of Health and Security Based Threats on the Trust in Government in Turkey, and the Mediator Role of Collective Angst

2021-8-9
Sahin, Melih Can
Previous research found that people's trust in government (particularly right-wing and populist governments) increases in the existence of a societal threat or crisis. However, most of this research is conducted in individualistic cultures like the USA. In addition, most of the previous research focused on threats originating from a particular out-group (such as ISIS threat to the US). Experimental research on how societal threats not originating from a particular group against an in-group (such as COVID-19) affect people's political attitude is acking. Also, current literature does not answer whether collective angst (concern for in-group's future vitality) can explain the relationship between health-related threats and trust in the government. Seven hundred twenty-two white-collar workers were enrolled in the online experimental study. The results yielded that participants exposed to health-based and security-based threat situations did not differ significantly from the control group in any of the research variables. Regression analyses showed that, only in the security group, the perceived threat level predicted collective angst, and in turn, trust in government. However, predictor variables accounted for the variance in outcome variables only fractionally; correlations between the variables were also weak. The implications of the results are discussed mainly based on the deficiencies in the research design, cultural and educational background of the study sample, and past and current political atmosphere in Turkey.

Suggestions

Impact of internal migration on political participation in Turkey
Akarca, Ali T.; Tansel, Aysıt (2015-01-01)
The Impact of population mobility on provincial turnout rates in the 2011 Turkish parliamentary election is studied, controlling for the effects of other socio-economic, demographic, political and institutional factors. Consequences of migration both at destinations and origins are considered. According to the robust regressions estimated, the relationship between turnout and education is inverse U-shaped, and between turnout and age (including generational effects), it is U-shaped. Immigration, emigration,...
A Critical analysis of the transformation of the social security system in Turkey in the context of new constitutionalism and Europeanizatiion
Çampınarı, Duygu; Yalman, Osman Galip; Department of Political Science and Public Administration (2012)
From the 1980s onwards, there has been a general transformation in social policy in line with the transformation of the welfare state worldwide. While the neoliberal restructuring of capital and the state has initiated this transformation in the 1980s, neoliberal globalization and competitiveness pressures upon the competition states have accelerated this process through necessitating the reordering of priorities around policies that pursue market ascendancy. As a result, the international governance framew...
THE ROLES OF NATIONAL MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATIONS ON RESOURCE ACQUISITION OF MUNICIPALITIES: A CASE STUDY OF TURKEY
Esenboğa, Ali Esener; Şengül, Hüseyin Tarık; Department of Urban Policy Planning and Local Governments (2022-7)
Globalization, neoliberal policies, and the spread of decentralization have expanded local governments' tasks and responsibilities, and local governments have gradually become more significant and effective. Therefore, local governments have sought external resources for financial and technical assistance to fulfil their expanding responsibilities and enhance their capacities. Moreover, accessing, obtaining, and efficiently utilizing the resources available in competitive conditions poses a particular chall...
Factors driving the political polarization process in Turkey: Relative effects of a number of determinants ranging from economic voting behavior to collective trauma effects
Yılmaz, Cengiz; Özdemir, Özlem (2012-02-01)
Factors driving the political polarization process in Turkey: Relative effects of a number of determinants ranging from economic voting behavior to collective trauma effects.
Türkiye deki Toprak Neminin NOAH Hidrolojik Yeryüzü Modeli İle İncelenmesi
Bulut, Burak; Yılmaz, Mustafa Tuğrul; Sönmez, İbrahim; Şorman, Ali Ünal (2014-09-18)
Ülkemizde ve dünyada sosyoekonomik açıdan büyük maliyetlere sebebiyet veren tarımsal kuraklığın incelenmesi, bu doğal afetin niteliklerinin (şiddet, süre, etki alanı) anlaşılması ve mümkün olan tedbirlerin araştırılması açısından çok kritiktir. Tarımsal kuraklığı gözlemlemede kullanılan en önemli parametrelerden birisi olan toprak nemi farklı metotlar kullanılarak elde edilebilir. Toprak nemi verilerinin en yaygın, tutarlı ve güvenilir olanlarından birisi ise hidrolojik modellerden elde edilenleridir. Hidro...
Citation Formats
M. C. Sahin, “Effects of Health and Security Based Threats on the Trust in Government in Turkey, and the Mediator Role of Collective Angst,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2021.