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In person icon Trust, Distrust, and Regulation: Exploring their Interdependencies (Panel I)

Governance
Institutions
Public Administration
Public Policy
Regulation
Comparative Perspective
Policy Implementation
Policy-Making
P051
Bernardo Rangoni
University of York
Koen Verhoest
Universiteit Antwerpen
David Levi Faur
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

In person icon Building: Hertie School (Friedrichstr. 180), Floor: 2, Room: 2.34

Thursday 15:30 - 17:00 CEST (12/06/2025)

Abstract

Panel Objectives and Scientific Relevance This panel examines the evolving relationship between trust, distrust, and regulation, asking: Under what conditions and through which mechanisms do (dis)trust and regulation influence each other? Trust entails willingness to accept vulnerability, whereas distrust implies skepticism. Regulation involves rulemaking, monitoring, and enforcement to shape behavior and mitigate risks. Recent crises—such as the 2008 financial meltdown, data privacy scandals, and geopolitical conflicts—have eroded trust in private-sector actors, regulatory authorities, and entire regimes. Often, distrust triggers regulatory expansion aimed at mitigating risks. Yet, regulation can produce unintended consequences, deepening skepticism, bureaucratic inefficiency, and backlash. This panel investigates both how regulation may restore trust and how it may, paradoxically, reinforce distrust. Empirical examples include the EU’s GDPR and DMA to regulate tech giants, post-crisis banking regulations under Basel III, and stricter foreign investment screening. These responses suggest that distrust cycles can be broken through regulation. However, regulatory expansion has also sparked debates on its effectiveness and side effects, raising questions about whether over-regulation exacerbates distrust rather than mitigating it. Theoretically, the trust-regulation relationship is often framed as antagonistic: where trust is high, regulation is minimal; where distrust dominates, stringent rules limit discretion. However, this perspective may overlook cases where trust and regulation reinforce one another. Regulation may support trust-building, just as trust may facilitate effective regulation. Alternatively, trust and regulation might evolve independently, without strong causal links. This panel explores these dynamics through comparative analyses across sectors, polities, and governance levels, investigating how different contexts shape their interplay. The discussion is particularly timely given the rapid evolution of technological, financial, and geopolitical landscapes, which continuously test regulatory resilience. Key Hypotheses 1. Parallel Evolution: Trust and regulation increase or decrease independently. 2. Divergent Evolution: Trust and regulation evolve in opposite directions but remain independent. 3. Mutually Undermining: Trust and regulation diminish each other through a causal relationship. 4. Mutually Reinforcing: Trust and regulation form a virtuous cycle, strengthening each other. By examining these possibilities, the panel will offer a deeper understanding of the nuanced ways in which (dis)trust and regulation interact, generating insights beyond single policy areas. Call for Papers We invite scholars from diverse disciplines to explore the interplay between trust, distrust, and regulation across sectors, political systems, and governance levels. We seek theoretical and empirical studies addressing questions such as: When do trust and regulation compete, and when do they reinforce each other? Does over-regulation exacerbate distrust? Can regulation rebuild trust, and if so, how? Contributions may focus on one aspect of the trust-regulation sequence or examine their feedback loops. We welcome methodologies including case studies, historical analyses, and quantitative assessments, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives from political science, public administration, sociology, economics, and law. Papers that examine underexplored aspects, such as citizens' trust in regulators, regulators’ trust in each other, or institutional design’s role in shaping trust-regulation dynamics, are encouraged. This panel aims to foster a dialogue that challenges conventional views and explores new avenues for understanding the co-evolution of trust and regulation.

Title Details
A Configurational Approach to Understanding the “Trust Problem” in the Context of Regulatory Governance View Paper Details
Regulatory trust dynamics: exploring the role of actors and regulation View Paper Details
Lobbying Regulation: From Transparency to Trust View Paper Details