ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses trust in social situations in a rich literature and provides a summary of the key elements. Trust among lobbyists is a product of a constellation of factors, personal chemistry, mutual interests, comfort with observed patterns of work-related behavior, and the organizational context into which a lobbyist is hired. The lobbyist community is a close-knit community in that information about what others say or do easily circulates within the community. Trust among lobbyists was important on many levels. Trust reduces risk for all parties and makes possible many positive outcomes, such as unity, division of labor, and joint problem solving. Trust encourages these positive outcomes by enhancing reliability and credibility and by invoking emotions that are the basis for both loyalty and social norms. Trust ensures that these norms will be enforced: Emotions make credible commitments for us; shame, guilt, anger lead to trust because one would feel shame or guilt if they let others down.
