Decreasing Trust in Democratic Governments (LISS Core Study)

In this study, respondents were asked to judge the ministers who serve in the fourth cabinet Balkenende on how reliable, sympathetic, competent and honest they think they are. In January 2009, the LISS panel was presented a questionnaire about the ministers currently serving in the fourth cabinet Balkenende. Panel members were assigned to one of three groups on the basis of a random variable. One group was presented a photograph of the minister concerned when asked to assess this minister. A second group was presented a group photo on which the minister concerned was individually encircled. The third group was not presented any photographs while completing the questionnaire. The survey is scheduled to be repeated in July 2009, in January and July 2010 and in January 2011