PUBLIC TRUST IN THE NEW PARLIAMENTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN-EUROPE

After the collapse of the Soviet empire, democratic parliamentary elec tions were conducted in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, a nd new parliaments convened, in the early 1990s. How much confidence d id citizens in these new democracies have in their new parliament? Und er what conditions is citizens' trust in parliament meagre or ample? P ublic opinion surveys conduced in 1990-1 in nine countries - Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Sloveni a, and Ukraine - provide data for analysing citizens', trusting or dis trusting orientations. Parliamentary trust is significantly influenced by perceptions of economic conditions, and by confidence in politicia ns and government generally but, surprisingly, not much affected by po litical awareness or involvement levels, political efficacy, or social class differentials. These findings indicate that public confidence i n these parliaments will grow with economic prosperity and the demonst rated effectiveness of the government to govern.