2021 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER HOW WE PLOTTED THE INSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCE AND ETHICS SCORES The competence score (the x-axis of the plot): An institution’s competence score is a net of the top 3 box (AGREE) minus the bottom 3 box (DISAGREE) responses to the question “To what extent do you agree with the following statement? [INSTITUTION] in general is good at what it does”. The resulting net score was then subtracted by 50 so that the dividing line between more competent and less competent institutions crossed the y-axis at zero. The net ethical score (the y-axis of the plot): The ethics dimension is defined by four separate items. For each item, a net score was calculated by taking the top 5 box percentage representing a positive ethical perception minus the bottom 5 box percentage representing a negative ethical perception. The y-axis value is an average across those 4 net scores. Scores higher than zero indicate an institution that is perceived as ethical. DIMENSION ETHICAL PERCEPTION UNETHICAL PERCEPTION Highly effective agent of Completely ineffective agent Respondents were asked: Purpose-Driven positive change of positive change In thinking about why you do or do not trust [INSTITUTION], Honest Honest and fair Corrupt and biased please specify where you think they fall on the scale between the two opposing descriptions. (Please use the Has a vision for the future Does not have a vision for the Vision slider to indicate where you think [INSTITUTION] falls that I believe in future that I believe in between the two extreme end points of each scale.) Serves the interests of Serves the interests of only Fairness everyone equally and fairly certain groups of people 32