The Paradox of Public Sector Reform: Works Better, Trusted Less?

Abstract

It is sometimes argued that current public sector reform efforts could restore public confidence in government, by improving the performance of public institutions. But reforms might simultaneously improve performance and corrode public trust. In many countries, reforms have been accompanied by a concentration of power within national governments. New methods of service delivery often abandon institutional arrangements that are widely thought to be essential for preventing abuse of power. And a combination of circumstances are eroding the old idea of a career civil service with a strong “public service ethic.” The public may over-estimate the threat posed by these changes. Nevertheless, the changes may have a corrosive effect on attitudes toward government, even as it learns to “work better and cost less.”