Institutional Trust in Crisis? Conceptual and Methodological Challenges in Measuring Institutional Trust

ABSTRACT Trust is a fundamental aspect of social life and essential for the proper functioning of democratic systems. In recent years, a growing number of studies and public discourses have diagnosed a crisis of trust in key public institutions. Such verdicts often rely on large‐scale surveys and experiments that aim to measure institutional trust. But how is trust exactly measured in these contexts, and what underlying conceptual assumptions shape these measurement approaches? In this interdisciplinary review, we provide an overview of current measures of institutional trust and discuss their advantages and limitations. We also address key conceptual questions surrounding the definition and operationalization of institutional trust, such as what trust actually means and whether trust surveys measure trust, or related concepts like confidence, reliability, or a combination of these. Finally, we propose directions for future research to address methodological gaps and enhance the validity of trust measures.