Our trust in international organizations is shaped by how we perceive their ideological leanings
Many assume that people's political ideologies shape how much they trust international organizations (IOs), but research has struggled to prove it - until now. A new study by professor Lisa Dellmuth and Jonas Tallberg, co-directors of the Stockholm Center on Global Governance, co-authored with Matthias Ecker-Ehrhardt, Department of Political Science, University of Bamberg, Germany, reveals that what really matters is how people perceive the ideological leanings of these organizations.
FEBRUARY 11, 2025, GENEVA. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the 156th WHO Executive Board in Geneva. President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from the WHO on his first day back in office, three weeks earlier. Photo: WHO / Christopher Black 2025.
PUBLISHED: January 30, 2025
UPDATED: March 14, 2025
Ideology and Legitimacy in Global Governance
By analyzing survey data from Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, and the U.S., the study shows that citizens assign greater legitimacy to IOs when they believe these institutions align with their own ideological views. This means that global governance isn't just about policy - it’s also about perception. Political ideology plays a far greater role in shaping public trust in IOs than previously understood.
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On December 20, 2024, the article "Ideology and Legitimacy in Global Governance" was published in the leading peer-reviewed journal International Organization (IO).
Last updated: 2026-04-16
Source: SCGG