An empirical examination of the determinants of trust in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose– How trust affects political, social, and economic phenomena have been studied by scholars for many years. However, not many studies have examined what factors determine trust among people and trust in public institutions. There is particularly a dearth of research on trust in Ghana. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approach– The authors use data from the 2012 Afrobarometer Surveys to mimic four sets of variables that Alesina and La Ferrara (2002) find as significant determinants of trust – recent traumatic experiences, having been historically discriminated against, being economically unsuccessful, and living in a mixed community. The authors apply these variables to the Ghanaian context to explore how they affect generalized trust, trust in relatives, neighbors, and other people the respondent knows, as well as trust in six public institutions (i.e. The President, Parliament, Electoral Commission, Police, Army, and the Courts of Law).Findings– The authors find that trust among Ghanaians is generally low. Women are significantly less trusting of public institutions, although they do not trust people (e.g. relatives, neighbors, etc.) any less than men. Both people of the North and South are generally less trusting of public institutions compared to people of the Volta Region. The authors also find that, to a large extent, satisfaction with democracy and political affiliation are significantly correlated with trust in public institutions.Practical implications– Because trust is very crucial for political, economic, and social development, especially good governance, there is an urgent need for public policy interventions that could increase trust among Ghanaians.Originality/value– The authors provide a Ghanaian perspective on the determinants of trust.