High-trust and low-trust societies
A low-trust society is defined as one in which interpersonal trust is relatively low, and shared ethical values are lacking. Conversely, a high-trust society is one where interpersonal trust is relatively high, and where ethical values are strongly shared.
Institutions and mechanisms
According to researchers, low-trust societies are typically kinship-based; outcomes of low-trust societies can include difficulty in forming and maintaining corporate structures. Mechanisms and institutions that are corrupted, dysfunctional, or absent in low-trust societies include respect for private property rights, a trusted civil court system, democratic voting and acceptance of electoral outcomes, and voluntary tax payment.Research has identified a correlation between linear-active cultures with high-trust societies, and multi-active cultures with low-trust cultures.