Purpose Electronic government (e-government) has been suggested as an important tool to improve public services and enhance citizens’ trust in government. Several studies have examined the relationship between e-government service quality, satisfaction and trust in government with conflicting results. This conflict reveals the need for additional examination of the process relating e-government service quality to trust in government. This study aims to introduce a theoretical approach that considers a crucial factor, which is perceived government effort. The model proposes that perceived e-government service quality first leads to satisfaction, which in turn increases perceived effort that finally translates into trust in government. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes and tests a conceptual model that examines the relationship between e-government service quality, satisfaction, perceived effort and trust in government. The model is tested using mediated regression analyses and Hayes’s PROCESS macro. Data were collected from an online survey of 723 individuals who interacted with e-government services in Kuwait. Findings The results supported the proposed theoretical model and particularly confirmed the mediating role of perceived effort in the link between e-government service quality and trust in government. Research limitations/implications The findings improve the understanding of the behavioral process linking satisfaction with citizen’s trust in the government. Originality/value The model introduces a crucial yet previously overlooked factor to the trust-building effect of e-government, which is perceived effort. This factor is particularly important in electronic services that inherently lack face-to-face interaction between citizens and government representatives.

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Recent data indicates that people are gaining weight around the world at a record pace and Americans are not immune to this chronic issue. In fact, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the average adult obesity rate in the United States was 12% in 1990 and grew to 35% in 2014. Given the severity of this problem, governments are obviously concerned with the growing obesity rate and have many reasons to encourage better nutrition and exercise. In this paper, we examine the effects of transportation mode choices on the incidence of obesity. This analysis extends the previous literature by including a series of transportation variables in a regression model examining state obesity rates using pooled data for the periods 2000, and 2004 to 2009. The results show that levels of obesity increases as automobile usage increases. Thus, public transportation has a positive influence on reducing obesity rates.