Trust and Confidence in Institutions: Religious Beliefs and Educational Attainment

The main objective of the paper is the analysis of intergenerational or cultural transmission of religious values during adolescence in order to explain interpersonal trust and confidence in institutions in adulthood. Trust and confidence in institutions outcomes are examined using the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) 2008 Religion III survey. Overall, the results are in line with previous literature: religious intensity and educational attainment are significantly and positively correlated with trust and confidence in institutions. But people with higher educational attainment and religious engagement (present or past) are less confident in institutions than otherwise similar individuals with lower educational attainment and are less engaged in religion. When it is used, instrumental variables the results suggest that religious engagement does not significantly explain trust though it is significantly related to confidence in institutions.