Public Trust In Government Research Articles

Regulatory Capture in Transboundary Waste Dumping: (Lack of) Accountability in the Global North–South Context

By showcasing Sri Lanka’s repatriation of hazardous hospital waste to the United Kingdom, this paper explores how the transboundary movement of waste management business model functions in the Global South. It builds on a framework that integrates the market and legal modes of accountability, regulatory capture, and an ethic of accountability. Data were collected using online ethnography and an interpretive case study method. The study demonstrates how the adherence to market and legal modes of accountability and the violation of an ethic of accountability have created loopholes for actors to capture regulatory and institutional provisions, making the transboundary waste management business redundant in the Global South. The traditional business model pursued in waste management has proved inadequate in realizing reciprocal societal rights and responsibilities and promoting public well-being. This has resulted in an erosion of public trust in government and state agencies. Thus, we argue that accountability-based accounting and the ethic of accountability can potentially mitigate the opportunities for regulatory capture, serve the public interests, and protect the ecosystem.

The New Public Integrity Management and the Protection of the Impartiality of Bureaucratic Decision-Making

The article argues that government organizations and the discipline of public administration should embrace a New Public Integrity Management (NPIM) to bridge the gap between advocates of external and internal public integrity controls on the behavior of public employees and contract government employees. The article argues that external and internal controls are important in maintaining public trust in government. This includes the management of the acceptance of gifts and private hospitality by government and contract government employees. The article traces the evolution of federal executive branch public integrity management and argues that the discipline of public administration has demonstrated a long-standing hostility towards external ethics controls due to early 20th-century divorce between law and administration. Of particular importance, the NPIM requires the adoption of a much broader definition of public corruption, which includes the conduct of private sector partners of government agencies responsible for the delivery of public goods and services paid for with public funds. Finally, the article argues that government ethics programs need to integrate moral reasoning education into their public integrity training programs and discuss criminal and administrative rules of conduct directed at protecting public confidence in the impartiality of bureaucratic decision-making.

The effects of the perception of corruption on public trust in government in Africa: a comparative analysis

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of corruption on public trust in government in Africa at various levels and explores variations across stable and fragile states. This study uses Afrobarometer data collected from households in 2019 to understand whether this link exists. Using ordered logit analysis and marginal effects, the study reveals that corruption significantly diminishes trust in government. High levels of corruption in the presidency, parliament, and local government are all associated with declining levels of trust. This corruption extends to judges, magistrate courts, religious, and traditional leaders suspected of corruption, who are expected to uphold ethical standards. Corruption in the office of the president reduces trust in the president, parliament, and local governments, while corruption in parliament decreases trust in parliament and local governments. Local government corruption impacts trust at the local level. Despite a high level of corruption in stable states, corruption in the local government is not responsive to public trust. The sensitivity of corruption to trust in the government is more pronounced in fragile states than in stable states. This study illustrates the pressing need to combat corruption and rebuild trust in governments. The findings highlight the need for context-specific anti-corruption strategies and policy interventions.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF THE STATE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UKRAINE AND THE USA

Background . In an era marked by globalization and rapid transformation, Ukraine is actively reforming its public administration system to align with European standards and effectively tackle contemporary challenges. Concurrently, the United States, with its robust democratic legacy and sophisticated governance framework, persistently evolves to meet new global trends while preserving its institutional robustness. This article delves into the analysis of public administration systems' capacity, positing it as a pivotal factor in governmental efficacy. It operates under the premise that the success of public policy is intrinsically linked to the government's capacity for informed decision-making. Methods . This study employs an integrated approach that amalgamates both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to fulfill its objectives. Theoretical methodologies like abstraction and modeling are pivotal in distilling key concepts and constructing a coherent analytical framework for the investigation. Empirical approaches, including surveys and interviews, are crucial for amassing primary data pertinent to actual public initiatives within Ukraine. Results . The discourse scrutinizes the political, managerial, and juridical dimensions of state institutional capacity, drawing on Ukraine and the USA as case studies. It explores how their public administration systems acclimate to swift shifts and global exigencies that demand not just reactivity but also foresight. Employing a holistic methodology that integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses, the study underscores shared strategies and distinctive approaches to governance, pinpoints critical performance indicators, and evaluates hypotheses concerning their interplay. Moreover, the paper accentuates the significance of accessible, high-caliber administrative services in cultivating public trust in government, alongside the imperative for agility and innovation within public administration to navigate the flux of circumstances. The research underscores the salience of expertise, impartiality, and concerted action in empowering government entities to address issues and realize strategic objectives. It contends that the constancy of legal frameworks and the combat against corruption are vital to the predictability and integrity of administrative operations. Professionalism, impartiality, coordinated efforts, legislative and institutional stability, as well as the eradication of corruption and vested interests, are pinpointed as crucial elements influencing public confidence and administrative efficacy. Conclusions . The caliber of administrative services directly impact public trust levels, while managerial adaptability and ingenuity, coupled with societal engagement, enhance system transparency and performance. The author underscores the value of synergies with civic bodies and the private sector in bolstering efficiency and transparency. In summation, the author underscores the paramountcy of institutional capacity in the fruition of public policy and advocates for ongoing scholarly exchange and dialogue between Ukraine and the USA to disseminate exemplary practices and augment the collective capacity of public administration.

Economic activity and suicides: Causal evidence from macroeconomic shocks in England and Wales

The relationship between economic activity and suicides has been the subject of much scrutiny, but the focus in the extant literature has been almost exclusively on estimating associations rather than causal effects. In this paper, using data from England and Wales between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2017, we propose a plausible set of assumptions to estimate the causal impacts of well-known macroeconomic variables on the daily suicide rate. Our identification strategy relies on scheduled macroeconomic announcements and professional economic forecasts. An important advantage of using these variables to model suicide rates is that they can efficiently capture the elements of ‘surprise or shock’ via the observed difference between how the economy actually performed and how it was expected to perform. Provided that professional forecasts are unbiased and efficient, the estimated ‘surprises or shocks’ are ‘as good as random’, and therefore are exogenous. We employ time series regressions and present robust evidence that these exogenous macroeconomic shocks affect the suicide rate. Overall, our results are consistent with economic theory that shocks that reduce estimated permanent income, and therefore expected lifetime utility, can propel suicide rates. Specifically, at the population level, negative shocks to consumer confidence and house prices accelerate the suicide rate. However, there is evidence of behavioural heterogeneity between sexes, states of the economy, and levels of public trust in government. Negative shocks to the retail price index (RPI) raise the suicide rate for males. Negative shocks to the growth rate in gross domestic product (GDP) raise the population suicide rate when the economy is doing poorly. When public trust in government is low, increases in the unemployment rate increase the suicide rate for females.

Blockchain Technology in Lands Registration: A Systematic Literature Review

Blockchain technology (BT) is increasingly important in digital government as a means of efficient information management, decision making and an instrument for reform. This study presents a systematic review of BT's potential and application in land registration within low-income countries. The study uncovers diverse approaches to BT implementation that are influenced by local conditions and government structures. The study reveals that while there is a burgeoning interest in this field, actual implementations remain limited. The key barriers include resistance from government officials and a lack of local BT skills. Public blockchains have shown a high tendency for adoption, indicating a shift towards more transparent relationships between governments and citizens. The Hyperledger Fabric platform emerges as a popular choice due to its ability to provide secure, scalable, and robust solutions. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the consensus mechanisms used, indicating a potential gap in current research practices. The study recommends an incremental approach to BT implementation, starting with non-threatening, transparent processes that could be expanded as part of broader government reform programs. Despite the potential of BT to revolutionize land registration systems and democratize tracking, it also poses a threat to existing power structures. Therefore, more robust empirical research is needed to evaluate the impacts and navigate the associated sociotechnical, legal, and institutional challenges. The study also proposes the establishment of a BT collaborative network among low-income countries to leverage shared experiences and develop a common framework for implementation. In the single instance where it was implemented in Georgia, public trust in government was restored. The study contributes to understanding how BT can be effectively harnessed to improve land registration systems in low-income countries.

Exploring the Determinants of Public Trust in Government in Somalia: An Empirical Analysis

Exploring the Determinants of Public Trust in Government in Somalia: An Empirical Analysis

The limits of cyberattacks in eroding political trust: A tripartite survey experiment

To what extent do security threats – such as cyberattacks – undermine trust in government? Fears have emerged that cyberattacks undercut public trust in government and sow doubt in democratic institutions heavily dependent on digitised systems. Nevertheless, the logic of this threat remains untested. This article presents survey experiments conducted in the United States (n = 607), the United Kingdom (n = 594), and Israel (n = 627) that examine whether cyberattacks on critical infrastructure truly undermine public trust in government and, if so, by what psychological mechanism. We exposed participants to simulations of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure before measuring the psychological and political outcomes. Our results reveal that cyberattacks do not undermine voters’ trust in the government’s ability to protect them. Furthermore, in the United States, exposure to cyberattacks heightens public trust by amplifying anger. Our findings inject a missing comparative component to the theoretical discussion of when, why, and how cyberattacks affect public trust in government.

Initiatives, public trust, and citizen engagement during crises: A comparative analysis across Baltic states

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interplay between government initiatives, public trust in government, and citizen engagement within the context of two distinct crisis scenarios: a global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an international security crisis caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine. A two-stage biennial survey methodology is used to collect quantitative data. In the first phase, which took place in the context of a global health crisis, an omnibus survey was conducted, involving a randomly selected sample of 3,175 respondents from three Baltic countries: Estonia (n = 1002), Latvia (n = 1017), and Lithuania (n = 1006). In the second stage, which took place in the context of an international security crisis, a random sample was carried out of 2026 respondents from two Baltic countries: Estonia (n = 1002) and Lithuania (n = 1024). The analysis examined causal relationships in political, rational, and social trust.The findings reveal that the relationship between trust in the government and government initiatives that foster political, rational, or emotional trust is stronger during international security crises than during health crises. This means that citizens perceive government behavior as more credible in the context of external security threats. Research on the interaction between government behavior and citizen participation is more nuanced than on public trust. In general, government initiatives have a greater impact on citizen participation than public trust in both crises. This highlights the positive impact of government initiatives in cooperation with the population. AcknowledgmentThe study is financed from the funds of the study-supporting project “Research on the Management of Security and Defense Institutions of Small States” (General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy, 2020-12-17, No. V-828).

MAIN TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN MEDICAL EDUCATION

Under modern conditions, the world is developing globally. Analyzing the main directions, it is worth noting that in the economy, this notion is expressed by the transition of most peoples and cultures to market relations; in politics – to democracy; in the system of social communications – to tolerance; in the field of the general organization of the life process – to the model of an open society and sustainable human development. Education and science are no exception. They prepare people for independent living and form their perspective on the civilizational future of humanity.
 This article examines the main trends of modern education, in particular, medical education, which include priority development in the strategy of newest state-building; ensuring its quality; anthropocentrism, development and equal access to quality education as an open holistic system, its informatization; modernization of content and educational technologies; innovative development of education as a response to the challenges of innovative progress; organic connection with science and culture; complementation of diverse knowledge modern education system; formation of scientific and inclusive education; its practical orientation.
 The countries that have succeeded are those where education has been established as a priority area of life.
 A relevant area of the world-class education level is its functioning and development as a democratic system.
 The next area is the social role of education in social cohesion development. In this case, working with internally displaced persons and students is a particular challenge. The difficulty in the political and socio-economic situation in Ukraine requires an immediate solution to this problem to unite our society as quickly and effectively as possible, namely through the development of educational communities.
 Social cohesion is complex but important to study. Therefore, it is necessary to understand its elements: mutual assistance, trust, otherness acceptance, justice perception, and civic engagement.
 The level of social cohesion in Ukrainian society is low and, according to some reports, tends to decline. This decline is a consequence of growing social inequality, low levels of public trust in government and other institutions, massive social disintegration, and depreciation of social solidarity and work values. The interests in increasing social cohesion require the implementation of a set of scientific, practical, and institutional measures. The development of social cohesion in the educational environment is a priority for Ukraine and the EU. It is necessary to overcome obstacles and take certain steps to implement this priority area of social and educational policy.
 Education in any country is a national product developed considering national traditions, lifestyle features, and national character. Therefore, a reasonable combination of traditions and innovations opens the door to the future and ensures the development of a person as a citizen of a country and a human being capable of living in the European and global space. These trends appear as the main guidelines for the improvement of education today.

Development and validation of the Trust in Government measure (TGM)

BackgroundTrust in government is associated with health behaviours and is an important consideration in population health interventions. While there is a reported decline in public trust in government across OECD countries, the tools used to measure trust are limited in their use for informing action to (re)build trust, and have limitations related to reliability and validity. To address the limitations of existing measures available to track public trust, the aim of the present work was to develop a new measure of trust in government.MethodsFifty-six qualitative interviews (Aug-Oct 2021; oversampling for equity-deserving populations) were conducted to design a national survey, including factor analyses and validation testing (N = 878; June 1-14th 2022) in Canada.ResultsThe measure demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = 0.96) and test validity (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.09, SRMR = 0.03), suggesting that trust in government can be measured as a single underlying construct. It also demonstrated strong criterion validity, as measured by significant (p < 0.0001) associations of scores with vaccine hesitancy, vaccine conspiracy beliefs, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, trust in public health messaging about COVID-19, and trust in public health advice about COVID-19. We present the Trust in Government Measure (TGM); a 13-item unidimensional measure of trust in Federal government.ConclusionsThis measure can be used within high-income countries, particularly member countries within the OECD already in support of using tools to collect, publish and compare statistics. Our measure should be used by researchers and policy makers to measure trust in government as a key indicator of societal and public health.

Effect of Accountability of MDAs on Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria

Accountability in the public sector throughout the world is being given serious attention in view of the fact that the government is the highest spender of public fund. The aim of this study is to show that societies which exhibit the norms of unethical behavior and lack of accountability are more likely to encounter difficulties. Such difficulties would prevent the accomplishment of the sustainable developmental goals and objectives of government, thereby leading to lack of sustainable development. Data for the study was collected from primary sources through the use of questionnaires. The data collection is from the finance departments of ministries, department and agencies of the federal government located in Plateau state. A probability method of simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents to be administered the questionnaire. For the purpose of data analysis, the multiple linear regression analysis technique was adopted to determine the effect of accountability in public sector on sustainable economic development. From the analysis carried out it was found that accountability in MDAs has a significant effect on sustainable development in Nigeria and it was recommended that accountability should be integrated into all aspects of public sector especially MDAs management in order to preserve sustainable development and the public trust in government and its officials.

The Effect of Online Reporting About Paid Vaccine on Public Trust in Government

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This research was motivated by public unrest with the news about paid vaccines, where the beginning of this vaccine was not charged at any cost. The purpose of this study is to measure how much influence paid vaccine news on online media has on public trust in the government. The research method used is descriptive research to describe the variables to be explained and also in the analysis of how much influence the variables have. The approach used is a quantative approach with data collection techniques, namely by using questionnaires that have been tested for validity and reliability, the subjects of this study are the people of Garut Regency as many as 100 respondents, statistical data analysis using regression analysis, determination coefficient analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed based on the F test in table VII.1, the calculated F value is 51.870 with a value significance of 0.000 then the hypothesis H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted. This means there is influence between online reporting about paid vaccines and public trust that the Rioting of News in Online Media Regarding Paid Vaccines Against Public Trust in the Government had a significant influence. The influence of Online Media Reports on Paid Vaccines on Public Trust is quite strong. And there is a strong influence on the community from the news of this Paid Vaccine.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Public Service Motivation and Trust in Government: An Examination Across the Federal, State, and Local Levels in the United States

In the United States, trust in government across the federal, state, and local levels has been on the decline for decades. With increasing polarization and politicization, the work of public administrators is frequently made more difficult by challenges that stem from low levels of public trust—responding to these challenges as well as recent calls that encourage public administrators to regain the trust of the public they serve. Could public service motivation (PSM) promote trust in government? We examine the association between PSM and trust in government across the federal, state, and local levels of government in the United States. We find that the association between PSM and governmental trust varies by level of government. At the state and local levels, PSM is positively associated with trust in government. However, we find no significant relationship between PSM and trust at the federal level. Thus, there exists the potential for state and local administrators to use PSM to build trust in the government and to facilitate improved policy implementation. Our findings also provide insight into how key predictors of public trust in government vary at the federal, state, and local levels of the U.S. government.

Canadians' trust in government in a time of crisis: Does it matter?

The ability of governments and nations to handle crises and protect the lives of citizens is heavily dependent on the public's trust in their governments and related social institutions. The aim of the present research was to understand public trust in government during a time of crisis, drawing on interview data (N = 56) collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). In addition to the general public (n = 11), participants were sampled to obtain diversity as it relates to identifying as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (n = 7), LGBT2SQ+ (n = 5), low-income (n = 8), Black Canadians (n = 7), young adult (n = 8), and newcomers to Canada (n = 10). Data were coded in consideration of social theories of trust, and specifically the nature of trust between individuals and institutions working with government in pandemic management. Canadians' trust in government was shaped by perceptions of pandemic communication, as well as decision-making and implementation of countermeasures. Data suggest that although participants did not trust government, they were accepting of measures and messages as presented through government channels, pointing to the importance of (re)building trust in government. Perhaps more importantly however, data indicate that resources should be invested in monitoring and evaluating public perception of individuals and institutions generating the evidence-base used to guide government communication and decision-making to ensure trust is maintained. Theoretically, our work adds to our understanding of the nature of trust as it relates to the association between interpersonal and institutional trust, and also the nature of trust across institutions.

How trust in government relates to public attitudes toward shale gas development in China

Public trust in government influences public attitudes toward the development of new technology. However, research conducted to assess the relationship has been done primarily in Western-style democracies. This research examines how public trust in the Chinese government is related, directly and indirectly, to public attitudes toward shale gas development. An online survey of a large convenience sample of Chinese residents (n = 1361) was conducted in 2022 in five provinces where shale gas extraction and/or exploration are occurring. We found that trust in central government has a direct positive association with the perceived benefits and risks of shale gas development. Respondents with higher trust in central and provincial government are more likely to express support shale gas development. There is also a statistically significant indirect positive association with support for shale gas development via greater perceived benefits, yet we did not find a statistically significant indirect effect of trust on support for shale gas development through perceived risks. The results are interesting because in China the government and the shale gas industry are more closely connected than they are in Western-style democracies and the environmental movement in China is at an early stage of development. Future research should examine how attitudes in China evolve as the scale of the shale gas industry grows and the environmental movement grows.

Public trust in the Government to control the spread of COVID-19 in England after the first wave-a longitudinal analysis.

To control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), governments are increasingly relying on the public to voluntarily manage risk. Effectiveness is likely to rely in part on how much the public trusts the Government's response. We examined the English public's trust in the Conservative Government to control the spread of COVID-19 after the initial 'crisis' period. We analyzed eight rounds of a longitudinal survey of 1899 smartphone users aged 18-79 in England between October 2020 and December 2021. We fitted a random-effects logit model to identify personal characteristics and opinions associated with trust in the Conservative Government to control the spread of COVID-19. Trust was lowest in January 2021 (28%) and highest in March 2021 (44%). Being older, having lower educational attainment and aligning with the Conservative Party were predictors of higher levels of trust. Conversely, being less deprived, reporting that Government communications were not clear and considering that the measures taken by the Government went too far or not far enough were predictors of being less likely to report a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the Government to control the pandemic. Trust in the Government's response was found to be low throughout the study. Our findings suggest that there may be scope to avoid losing trust by aligning Government actions more closely with scientific advice and public opinion, and through clearer public health messaging. However, it remains unclear whether and how higher trust in the Government's response would increase compliance with Government advice.

Role of Perceived Religious Values to Facilitate Predictors of Public Trust in Government: The Case of a Muslim-Majority Culture

Grounded in good governance theory, this research investigated the direct and indirect relationships of Perceived Transparency (PT) and Perceived Responsiveness (PR) with the Overall Public Trust in Government (OPTIG) in the presence of Perceived E-Governance Effectiveness (PEGE) and Perceived Religious Value (PRV) as a mediator. Using a quantitative field survey approach, data were obtained from 511 respondents from Medan and Banjarmasin, Indonesia. Data analysis was performed using SmartPLS3 software. Results showed that PT, PR, PEGE, and PRV positively influenced OPTIG. Also, the mediatory roles of the PEGE and PRV were significant, revealing the importance of the government’s use of information and communication technology and religious scholars’ positive role in developing and enhancing the public’s trust in the government.

COVID-19, Diffuse Anxiety, and Public (Mis)Trust in Government: Empirical Insights and Implications for Crime and Justice

Given that trust in government is a critical feature of a well-functioning democracy, research into its determinants has long been a priority among public opinion scholars. The consensus in the literature is that short-term factors drive the ebbs and flows of public trust, and a climate of mistrust has significant consequences on the government's ability to deliver on policies and enforce the law. Despite decades of extensive research on public trust, changing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic support the need to investigate the factors shaping trust in this distinct period. This article, using data from the American National Election Study, explores how economic, social, and political anxieties pervasive throughout the pandemic influence trust in the United States government. Findings from ordered logistic regression analyses indicate that public trust in government is associated with views of the government's COVID-19 response, beliefs about the state of the country and government corruption, economic anxieties, and concerns about election fraud and the status of American democracy. Findings also reveal that sentiments toward institutions—including the police and the Center for Disease Control—contribute to variability in public trust. The implications of these findings for criminal justice research and policy are also considered.

Can Smart Governance Works in Traditional Indigenous Markets?

One of the underlying characteristics of a “smart governance” notion is responsive government. The public expects the government to be its receptive partner. However, prior research has indicated that a growing lack of public trust in government is a common phenomenon in most developing countries; thus, expecting a responsive government is difficult. This paper aims to determine whether smart governance works in traditional indigenous markets, known as pasar, in Indonesia. The study employs a qualitative case-study method. A semi-structured interview of pasar key informants gathered empirical evidence for the case study. The findings indicate that the bureaucratic culture, via the role of supervisory boards, in Pasar has restrained the managers’ responsiveness to public demands. Consequently, complaints that surface in Pasar cannot be solved immediately. In conclusion, it can be said that they cannot implement smart governance in Pasar.