ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the responses to a range of questions designed to obtain the views of respondents on the working of the political process and their trust in it. One of the central themes of the 1997 United Kingdom (UK) general election was the notion of trust. It could be argued that the Labour Party won that election not merely because the party had undertaken fundamental changes to its core policies, but also because the leadership of the party was able to persuade the British electorate that it could be trusted to form the government of the UK. Both the concepts of efficacy and trust are believed to be central to the maintenance of a healthy democratic society. Members of such a society must believe that they can have some influence on the political process and must also have trust in those who are elected or appointed to positions of power within that process.
