‘This is our legacy’ : youth exposure to repression and trust in institutions

Abstract

This paper examines how youth exposure to political repression is associated with long-term trust in public institutions in Chile, drawing on the impressionable years hypothesis. I exploit variation in proximity to pre-1970 military bases as a proxy for local repression intensity. Individuals who were in their critical period (ages 17–25) at the 1973 coup exhibit significantly lower trust in the Carabineros (national police) decades later, with similar effects for those aged 10–16 years. This effect is a relative one: the Carabineros remain the most trusted institution across all cohorts, with exposure creating a persistent trust gap rather than absolute mistrust. Trust in representative institutions (government, presidency) is not significantly affected, indicating institution-specific legacies. Migration, university attendance, and residence in the capital do not account for the results. Early-life exposure to repression is associated with a durable, institution-specific deficit in political trust, underscoring the long shadow of political violence on democratic consolidation.