Youth and Politics: Trust Issues
Published: 13 April 2026
Commentary
In discussions about romantic relationships, people sometimes refer to having ‘trust issues’, a decline after relationship stressors or betrayals, particularly among adolescents who are still developing patterns of trust in close relationships (Matson et.al 2022).
To me, the ‘trust crisis’ in today’s politics has the same root.
People witness unfulfilled campaign promises, making people less likely to trust them (Bonilla, 2021). Although observed globally, I will use UK as a case to understand the ‘trust issues’ between youth and politicians.
Measuring Political Trust in the UK
Trust’s abstract nature makes it difficult to measure. Nevertheless, several global barometers and indexes attempt to assess it. The Edelman Trust Barometer (ETB) shows that the UK is among the countries with the lowest levels of trust in government in 2026, scoring 36 out of 100 points in a survey of 28 countries, placing it 24th overall (2026). Therefore, it is important to look at the UK to understand the trust crisis between the public and politicians.
In 2022, the World Values Survey (WVS) measured public confidence in political parties in the UK and found that 26% of respondents reported having ‘no confidence at all’ while 59% said they had ‘not very much confidence’. What about confidence in politicians? According to the Electoral Commission, more than 50% of voter bases of all parties in UK consider politicians as untrustworthy (2025). The numbers increase when we look at voters affiliated with the Green Party and Reform UK, 77% and 85% respectively.
When we deep dive into the age groups, we witness a more dramatic picture for UK’s youth. As shown in graph 1, the level of distrust in political parties among young people aged 16–29 is striking with 34% reporting that they have ‘no confidence at all’ in political parties, while 56% say they have ‘not very much confidence.’ These figures suggest that distrust toward political parties is higher among younger generations than among older ones. Why, then, do young people in the UK tend to express greater distrust than older generations?
The Broken Promises and the Importance of Authenticity
Young generations have heard the same message throughout their childhood: go to school, be a well-behaved student, pass your exams, and eventually get your diploma, then you will achieve the life you dream of. But does this really happen? No. In fact, many young people today struggle to find a job. In the United Kingdom, the unemployment rate among 16-24-year-olds stands at 16%, substantially higher than the national rate of 5%. (Moreau, 2026). Therefore, when young people realise that the promises they were told for years do not reflect reality, it can lead not only to deep disappointment but also to a loss of trust in political actors.
Additionally, political figures often see younger generations not as individuals who demand a decent life, but simply as a mass audience (e.g., ‘Gen Z’). When politicians want to reach young people, they often think that following popular social media ‘memes’ and videos based on them will help them connect with youth. However, this is not always the case.
For instance, in the New York City mayoral election, Zohran Mamdani won strong support from young voters not by using memes, but by producing authentic and policy-focused content. In contrast to his rival Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani avoided using memes or artificial intelligence–generated visuals and instead filmed his campaign videos on the streets of New York. He designed the campaign’s colours inspired by the city’s colours (Nain, 2025). All of these helped him to establish a more authentic connection with voters (Landymore, 2025).
Higher perceived political authenticity among politicians is positively associated with voters’ intention to vote for them (Luebke & Engelmann, 2023). Given that Mamdani won 75% of voters aged 18–29 (NBC News, 2025), it can be argued that this perceived authenticity contributed to his support among young voters. How does this relate to the lack of trust? According to a study which focuses on authenticity gap in British politics, distrusting citizens and young people are significantly more likely to prioritise authenticity (Valgarðsson et.al 2020). Therefore, if politicians in the UK want to gain the trust of the young people who have lower levels of trust, they should prioritise authenticity in their political communication.
Trust and Populism
Populism has become a widely discussed topic. While different explanations exist for its rise, the growing ‘trust crisis’ is seen as closely linked to the increasing support for populist movements, for instance throughout Europe (Cocco et.al, 2024). It is important to mention that populist parties are gaining support from younger generations. For example, in Germany’s 2025 general election, the populist left-wing party Die Linke (The Left) won 25% of the vote among 18–24-year-olds, the highest share among all parties, while the populist right-wing AfD (Alternative for Germany) received 21% (Al Jazeera, 2025). In the UK, an Ipsos survey from March 2026 shows that the populist-right Reform UK ranks third among 18–34-year-olds with 14% support, while the populist-left Green Party is the most popular in this age group with 36% (Ipsos, 2026).
How did this happen? Populist politicians have noticed this ‘trust crisis’ and built their rhetoric around what they describe as corrupt and unreliable mainstream politicians, whom they call ‘the elite.’ By using people’s distrust toward mainstream politicians, they present themselves as a new alternative (Herrera & Trombetta, 2024). Moreover, populist politicians often appear more authentic to the public (Enli & Rosenberg, 2018). This perceived authenticity may strengthen trust among voters and help explain their rise, particularly among young people for whom authenticity is especially important.
Rebuilding Trust
In conclusion, the growing ‘trust crisis’ between young people and politicians is becoming an important challenge for contemporary politics, and the UK stands as a good example. Three key takeaways emerge from this paper. First, distrust toward political actors is more visible among younger generations than older ones. Second, to regain the trust of young people, politicians should keep their promises and authentically promote concrete policies rather than relying on memes or AI-generated campaign content. Third, low trust levels among youth create opportunities for both left-wing and right-wing populist actors, who often benefit from appearing more authentic than mainstream politicians.
First published: 13 April 2026