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 Respondents were asked: Purpose-Driven Highly effective agent of Completely ineffective agent In thinking about why you do or do not trust [INSTITUTION], positive change of positive change please specify where you think they fall on the scale Honest Honest and fair Corrupt and biased between the two opposing descriptions. (Please use the Vision Has a vision for the future Does not have a vision for the 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 55