On the afternoon of September 11, 2001, a group of social scientists at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan gathered to consider the appropriate academic response to that day’s crisis. The group, including economists, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, and survey methodologists, knew that media polls would provide quick snapshots of people’s reactions to the terrorist attacks, but that scientific monitoring of public opinion was necessary.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a number of surveys were mounted to measure public reactions and responses in New York City and the nation as a whole. Many of the surveys continue to document trends such as patriotism and confidence in leaders, the trade-off between security and civil liberties, and the psychological impact of September 11.
After the terror attacks of September 11, the Foundation invited a number of economists, sociologists, and political scientists to analyze the effects of the attacks on the city’s social, economic, and political life. The working group subsequently produced three volumes, including, Contentious City: The Politics of Recovery in New York City. In that volume, urban planning expert Lynn Sagalyn contributed an essay on the emotionally charged planning process for redevelopment of the World Trade Center site between 2001 and 2004.
Social scientific theories of trust are growing ever more sophisticated, but techniques of measurement remain relatively primitive. The most widely cited measures of trust, such as those in the General Social Survey, ask whether we trust "most people", thereby assuming that we make sweeping judgments about the trustworthiness of human nature in general. Nancy Burns and Donald Kinder of the University of Michigan believe these measures are misguided.
A study of the role of trust in the emergence and consolidation of democracy in local states across Mexico and Argentina. The results of this research have been published by the Foundation as Democracy and the Culture of Skepticism: Political Trust in Argentina and Mexico.
An empirical study to assess whether trust in political representatives is more strongly determined by personal characteristics or by general levels of trust in government.
Supplemental Appropriation: April 2003, $8100
Transitional regimes, such as the establishment of South Africa's fully inclusive democracy after many years of apartheid, often involve re-establishing trust between citizens and formerly corrupt courts. Clearly, citizens’ trust in local courts will take time to develop, particularly when living in an uncertain or unstable political environment. People's confidence that the judicial branch will efficiently adjudicate cases, control court-related corruption, or maintain independence from the executive branch may contribute to establishing trust in government over the long run.
Supplemental Appropriation: June 2004 $15,000
What does it mean to be an American? For social scientists, this question is an important barometer of political attitudes. The way people answer can indicate their level of support for public initiatives relating to immigrants and minority groups, such as bilingual education, affirmative action, and racial profiling in the war on terror. Yet despite the important implications for public policy, data on this subject is limited and dated.