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Relying on aggregate-level or cross-sectional survey data, extant research suggests that economic inequality erodes social trust. In this article we distinguish between cross-sectional and longitudinal components of inequality, using a sample of approximately 140,000 individuals in 19 countries over a thirty year period (1990- 2020). Accounting for individual-level predictors as well as the direct and conditional effect of income, findings suggest a strong negative association between inequality and trust among countries. Individuals from countries with higher levels of inequality systematically report lower levels of trust, but evidence is less clear to substantiate that individuals are less trusting of one another during times of higher inequality. In the second part of the paper, we reassess these findings using subnational data for Spain between 2008 and 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses what I consider to be the world's main problems, although I recognise that there are also other problems at present, such as inflation and the war in Ukraine. I will try to address the main problems, which are of interest to CIRIEC, which is an international organisation that pays particular attention to what is called the Third Sector" or "Social Economy", an area that lies between the private business sector and the government despite I am not, I must admit, an expert in this last field. I will deal with it in the context of discussing a couple of problems we face in the world that I think are really important. The first problem is economic inequality, which I know something about. The second problem is climate change and environmental problems, which I think are the most important. I will also refer at the end to some problems related to the COVID pandemic. In all the problems, what we could call the Third Sector can play a big role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]