Policy Network: National identity and political trust

The effect of national identity on perceptions of the political system is, however, mediated by official government policy toward newcomers.8  Particularly important is the degree of consistency between what the individual emphasises in terms of what it means to be a country-national, and what government policy emphasises. Where government policy emphasises ascriptive characteristics and makes it difficult for those who do not share these characteristics to become fully functioning members of the political and economic systems and the individual also emphasises ascriptive characteristics, this produces more positive perceptions of the political system than when the individual emphasises ascriptive characteristics but government policy makes it easier for newcomers to become part of the political and economic systems (i.e., implying that ascriptive characteristics are not all that important).Read more