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Individual's Religiosity Enhances Trust: Latin American Evidence for the Puzzle

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  • PABLO BRAÑAS‐GARZA
  • MÁXIMO ROSSI
  • DAYNA ZACLICEVER

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of religious observance and affiliation to the dominant religion (Catholicism) on trust in institutions and toward others, and market attitudes. The analysis is performed using a Latin American database of 20,000 respondents from 2004 by means of ordered probit models. The most interesting results are: (i) Trust toward others is positively correlated with both religious observance and Catholic affiliation (and practice). (ii) There is a positive correlation between trust in the government, in the police, in the armed forces, in the judiciary and in the banking system and religious practice in general. Identical positive findings are obtained for Catholic affiliation and practice, although they may be affected by a majority effect. Moreover, there is no evidence to support the hypotheses of a negative effect of religion on social capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Pablo Brañas‐Garza & Máximo Rossi & Dayna Zaclicever, 2009. "Individual's Religiosity Enhances Trust: Latin American Evidence for the Puzzle," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(2‐3), pages 555-566, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jmoncb:v:41:y:2009:i:2-3:p:555-566
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-4616.2009.00222.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Hong, Seiwoong & Lee, Junyong & Oh, Frederick Dongchuhl & Shin, Donglim, 2023. "Religion and foreign direct investment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(1).
    2. Tamilina, Larysa, 2012. "Social policies and trust in the social security system," MPRA Paper 96519, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Tamilina, Larysa, 2011. "Policy specific effects of welfare states’ impact on social trust," MPRA Paper 96515, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Tamilina, Larysa, 2012. "Characteristics of social policies and social trust," MPRA Paper 96517, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Berggren, Niclas & Bjørnskov, Christian, 2011. "Is the importance of religion in daily life related to social trust? Cross-country and cross-state comparisons," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 459-480.
    6. Ma, Xunzhou & Wu, Zhen-Xing, 2019. "Do sacred texts glorifying Allah facilitate Muslims’ trust and trustworthiness? Evidence from field experiments in China," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    7. Badaoui, Eliane, 2023. "Which dimensions of religiosity matter for trust? New insights from the MENA region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    8. Tamilina, Larysa, 2011. "The Impact of Welfare States on Social Trust Formation: A Multidimensional Approach," MPRA Paper 96489, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Tamilina, Larysa, 2018. "The impact of welfare states on social trust: theoretical and empirical foundations," MPRA Paper 96512, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Heineck, Guido, 2014. "Love thy neighbor: Religion and prosocial behavior," BERG Working Paper Series 93, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
    11. Neuman, Shoshana & Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Espin, Antonio M., 2013. "Effects of religiosity on social behaviour: Experimental evidence from a representative sample of Spaniards," CEPR Discussion Papers 9709, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Dominika Ochnik & Aleksandra M. Rogowska & Ana Arzenšek & Joy Benatov, 2022. "Can Fear of COVID-19 Be Predicted by Religiosity and Trust in Institutions among Young Adults? A Prospective Cross-National Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-15, June.
    13. Tamilina, Larysa, 2011. "The welfare state and social trust: a three-dimensional approach of analysis," MPRA Paper 96513, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Jaime Ortiz, 2009. "Does Religion Distribution Matter in the Economic Growth of Latin America?," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 8(3), pages 183-199, December.
    15. Tamilina, Larysa, 2018. "Theories of social trust formation: a brief literature overview," MPRA Paper 96511, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Pablo Brañas-Garza & Antonio M Espín & Shoshana Neuman, 2014. "Religious Pro-Sociality? Experimental Evidence from a Sample of 766 Spaniards," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-11, August.
    17. Searing, Elizabeth A.M., 2013. "Love thy neighbor? Recessions and interpersonal trust in Latin America," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 68-79.
    18. Tamilina, Larysa, 2011. "The welfare state and social trust: a descriptive analysis," MPRA Paper 96514, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Juan José Barrios & Nestor Gandelman, 2011. "Religion, trust and reciprocity: evidence from six Latin American cities," Documentos de Investigación 69, Universidad ORT Uruguay. Facultad de Administración y Ciencias Sociales.
    20. M. Niaz Asadullah, 2017. "Who Trusts Others? Community and Individual Determinants of Social Capital in a Low-Income Country," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 41(2), pages 515-544.
    21. Matteo Migheli & Margherita Saraceno, 2023. "On the propensity to settle or litigate in laboratory disputes," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 40(2), pages 615-642, July.
    22. Al-Azzam, Moh’d & Parmeter, Christopher F. & Sarangi, Sudipta, 2020. "On the complex relationship between different aspects of social capital and group loan repayment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 92-107.
    23. Tamilina, Larysa, 2018. "A brief overview of approaches to defining social trust," MPRA Paper 96510, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    24. Tamilina, Larysa, 2011. "Decommodification and stratification effects on social trust," MPRA Paper 96516, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    25. Tamilina, Larysa, 2012. "Group specific effects of social policies on social trust," MPRA Paper 96518, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    JEL classification:

    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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