The article’s relevance stems from the fact that the level of political trust determines the strength of state identity and the readiness of society for constructive cooperation in pursuit of the common good and the personal happiness of citizens. In the second decade of the 21st century, a separate interdisciplinary field of research on political trust and its relationship to national/state identity has already emerged. Therefore, this publication is intended as a first step towards revealing the interdependence of political trust and state identity. The publication aims to provide a theoretical analysis of political trust and its impact on the crystallisation of state identity as an integrative form of civic self-identification. The research methodology included the analysis, comparison, and generalisation of theoretical developments by both foreign and domestic researchers on the topic of the article. It is emphasised that, by expressing political trust, citizens not only trust the government’s actions but also demonstrate emotional attachment to the state and express their intention to preserve and support citizenship. The study concludes that political trust is the confidence citizens have in the competence, integrity, and goodwill of state institutions, based on their actual effectiveness. It acts as a strategic bridge connecting a rational assessment of the government’s activities with people’s emotional attachment to their country. A high level of such trust strengthens state identity and legitimacy, while its absence leads to social alienation and undermines institutional foundations. In state identity, political trust can be conceptualised as a bridge connecting institutional activities with emotional attachment, functioning through both cognitive and affective mechanisms.

Key words: trust, political trust, state identity, power, legitimacy of power.

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