ABSTRACT
Social trust, when it exists, facilitates cooperation and contributes to social order. It generally refers to the extent to which people view those they do not know as trustworthy. Robinson and Jackson (2001: 117) state that social trust reflects “a positive expectation about the trustworthiness of the generalized, abstract other, and a person's level of social trust is thus a standard estimate of the trustworthiness of an unknown other.” It also refers to the degree to which there is general trust in institutions such as government, business, the military, or religious organizations. In societies with high generalized social trust, institutions function fairly smoothly, the economy is often robust, and individuals are willing to engage with those they do not know to transact and often to accomplish collective tasks.
