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Understanding the Ukrainian Syndrome: Recipes for High and Low Institutional Trust Amid the Military Conflict

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  • Tamilina, Larysa
  • Ma, Wenting

Abstract

Conflicts generate profound shocks that destabilize political systems and erode the legitimacy of governing regimes. In the context of Ukraine, these adverse effects have taken on a distinct form, referred to here as the "Ukrainian Syndrome." The phenomenon describes the paradoxical coexistence of a strong belief in the democratic regime with a significant distrust in the political institutions that uphold it. This study seeks to explain the Ukrainian Syndrome by examining the processes of institutional trust formation. The analysis is based on data from a nationally representative survey conducted in November 2024, utilizing fsQCA as the primary methodological framework. The findings reveal that individuals tend to base their trust in political institutions on pragmatic evaluations of institutional performance, largely disregarding ideological commitments to democracy or optimism about Ukraine’s long-term statehood in these assessments. As a result, Ukrainians' aspirations for and commitment to democratic governance persist independently of their trust in democratic institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamilina, Larysa & Ma, Wenting, 2024. "Understanding the Ukrainian Syndrome: Recipes for High and Low Institutional Trust Amid the Military Conflict," MPRA Paper 123112, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:123112
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trust; institutions; democracy; Ukraine; fsQCA.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • K4 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies

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