Why Trust Prevents Nations from Tearing Themselves Apart

“The last time a leading Danish politician was murdered was 1286. It’s not war with your foreign enemies [that matters]; it’s internally, in political stability.”

The backbone of a happy, healthy society is rooted in how much its citizens trust one another.

If one place in the world could teach a few things about creating a peaceful society, it would be Denmark. It consistently ranks as one of the happiest and most trusting nations in the world, and it rarely faces serious internal strife. This is not to say that civil violence is unknown; however, in comparison to the ever-recurring riots and political tensions in the United States, Denmark has been an uncontested beacon of tranquility.

There are, of course, ongoing questions about how to deal with ever-changing societal dynamics. For example, in a current global landscape that has seen the largest movement of migrants ever—mostly to Western countries—there have arisen significant questions about the impact that migrants have on a country’s sense of identity, security, happiness, and trust. Denmark has had to face this question and is certainly not alone in this regard. Other matters in the country also cannot be overlooked—growing inequality, economic instability, and geopolitical matters of national security. Yet, overall, Denmark has not torn itself apart and experienced civil unrest in ways resembling even half of what the United States does on a regular and recurring basis. So, whom better to ask about happiness, trust, economics and political stability than a Dane with academic expertise on the subject?

Professor of Economics at Aarhus University Christian Bjørnskov is a leading researcher in the field of social trust. He contributes regularly to the Danish financial paper Børsen. His academic expertise is often added to the satirical Punditokraterne.dk blog as well, where he discusses topics such as the not-so-obvious connections between alcohol consumption and economic prosperity. This serious-comedic duality seems to be a common theme for Bjørnskov. From early explorations into the ingredients of happiness, he has now shifted to answering why military dictatorships that switch to democracies almost always choose presidential over parliamentary forms of government.