Source of healing or bone of contention? : Trust in the German healthcare system during the coronavirus crisis

Abstract

The persistent challenge posed by the coronavirus crisis raises questions concerning the efficiency and fairness of the German healthcare system. Based on new representative survey data, this paper examines what Germans think of the system’s general strength and fairness. Whereas trust in the system’s ability to avoid the unequal treatment of different groups of the population is high, people are more skeptical when it comes to its strength and efficiency. Political preferences play a role here, with supporters of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) much more skeptical than those supporting the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Green Party. Trust in the healthcare system and political trust, especially in the truthfulness of the federal government’s information policy, are closely linked. Information policy, therefore, plays a crucial role when it comes to securing public trust in the healthcare system.