World AffairsJune 1, 2026Riccardo Pelizzo, Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev
ABSTRACT: This paper examines how traditional beliefs and practices influence trust in government in Kazakhstan. The country—and the Central Asian region more broadly—has a long and well‐documented history of traditional beliefs, traditional knowledge, and shamanic practices, which makes it an ideal setting to assess whether these cultural legacies continue to shape contemporary political...