Cultures of Trust and Institutions of Freedom

There are political threats to a society characterized by freedom, competition, trust and personal responsibility, as championed by Sir John Templeton. Through this project, we want to investigate whether the beliefs underlying these threats are valid– e.g., that markets undermine personal responsibility and trust. Hence, the project entails two interrelated core themes: Can institutions embodying economic freedom, contrary to the skepticism of some, contribute to fairness, trust, equality and responsibility; and can cultures of trust, that enable cooperation, self-governance and human flourishing, emerge and grow in free, open societies? We aim to analyze these themes through empirical research focusing on these research questions: Does economic liberalization undermine a conservative culture? Does economic freedom increase unfair inequality? Does economic freedom result in higher life satisfaction for men than for women? Does economic freedom or government policy lead to the exclusion of minority groups? What determines trust in the media (an important part of a free society)? Does globalization suppress social trust? How do economic crises affect trust in government and capitalism? We plan the following deliverables: seven original papers by us; twelve commissioned papers; two conferences and three policy seminars; consistent media participation; social-media and blog coverage. If our hypotheses are confirmed, the impact of the project will be to shift the thinking of scholars and political decision-makers to make them appreciate, through novel and credible findings published in peer-reviewed journals, conveyed in respectful conversation, how market-oriented institutions can bring about widely desired outcomes and how trust can be stimulated by institutions allowing for voluntary interaction and cooperation. In that way, the project can strengthen the intellectual basis of the kind of society envisaged by Sir John in a political climate that favors political control.